Spirit Wolves 4
Three Mates, One Destiny
For seven years, Paulie focused only on finding a cure for the feral
virus, with little time for personal relationships. All that changes
when hunters Sebastian and Marcus come into his life. The
attraction between them cannot be denied. They are his mates,
but at the same time, they share a connection that humbles
Paulie. He fears intruding in their relationship. He fears becoming
the third wheel.
Sebastian and Marcus have always been together, facing
everything from prejudice to feral attacks as one being. But now,
they find themselves in front of the most difficult battle of their
lives—the battle to win their mate's heart and trust.
As Sebastian and Marcus struggle to convince Paulie of their
genuine affection, the danger of betrayal crowds around them.
Can the three find their shared destiny or will their enemies defeat
them?
Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Ménage a Trois/Quatre,
Vampires/Werewolves
Length: 34,210 words
THREE MATES, ONE DESTINY
Spirit Wolves 4
Scarlet Hyacinth
MENAGE AMOUR
MANLOVE
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage Amour ManLove
THREE MATES, ONE DESTINY
Copyright © 2011 by Scarlet Hyacinth
E-book ISBN: 1-61034-653-X
First E-book Publication: August 2011
Cover design by Jinger Heaston
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Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter to Readers
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DEDICATION
For my parents. You may never read this dedication, but I
appreciate everything you've done for me.
THREE MATES, ONE
DESTINY
Spirit Wolves 4
SCARLET HYACINTH
Copyright © 2011
Prologue
One hundred years before
The cavernous halls of the Magistrate’s Den intimidated Marcus
as he walked behind his parents. They’d come here to officially
introduce Marcus into the pack and into their nation. At last, he’d
reached his majority and the age when he’d be taught how to master
his wolf.
An odd buzzing noise filled his ears, drowning out the voices
around him. His mother and father were speaking to someone, a man
named Klaus, the Magistrate’s right-hand man. But Marcus couldn’t
have focused on it if he wanted to. He felt too anxious, too afraid of
what this day might bring.
At last, they reached their destination. Two ornate doors opened to
allow them inside a huge throne room. Spirit wolves from all over the
world gathered here for the introduction of this year’s youngsters.
Marcus scanned the crowd and his eyes fell on the Morrigans. Alice
and Roland Morrigan were, as always, impeccably attired, their
stances proud and stern. Marcus also spotted their son, Peter, standing
by his mother's side and watching the ceremony with a bored
Three Mates, One Destiny
9
expression. But a different figure made Marcus’s heart begin to beat
faster. Sebastian Morrigan, his best friend and Roland’s illegitimate
son, stood next to his father, as still as a statue.
From the moment he’d first met Sebastian, Marcus had known the
other wolf was his mate. They’d been inseparable as pups and shared
every secret, every hurt and joy with each other. So far, however,
they’d remained best friends, respecting the belief that a spirit wolf
needed to reach maturity before he attempted mating. Apparently,
young wolves sometimes confused feelings of lust and affection with
the desire for a mate, but this phenomenon vanished once they were
introduced to the pack and accepted their wolf completely.
Tonight, Marcus would find out the truth, and he both feared it
and wanted it. In his heart, he knew his first instinct had been correct,
but a small voice always whispered in the back of his mind, sowing
doubts, keeping him from reaching out to his friend.
Marcus shook himself and focused on following his parents. The
Magistrate, Wolfram Rozenstadt, sat on his throne and beckoned them
forward with a wave. Other families with sons and daughters his age
already stood there, waiting.
As he walked, Marcus passed the Morrigans. Sebastian’s lips
twitched in a small smile, and Marcus felt encouraged. His head
became clearer, and he even heard his mother say his name to the
Magistrate. Taking his cue, Marcus followed tradition and said what
he’d been taught. “I come before my pack today to humbly submit to
their judgment.”
Marcus wouldn’t have called it a judgment, since no one had ever
been refused, at least not to Marcus’s knowledge. Other families
appeared and echoed the process, and then the parents retreated into
the watching crowd.
The young spirit wolves were left standing alone in front of the
Magistrate. Marcus didn’t feel much different than when his parents
had been by his side. On autopilot, Marcus knelt, just like he’d been
10
Scarlet Hyacinth
taught. The others followed his example, and they remained like that,
with their heads bowed, waiting for the Magistrate’s decision.
Marcus sensed, rather than heard, Wolfram get up. The air in the
room seemed to shift with the power the Magistrate exuded. He
closed his eyes and focused on Sebastian’s presence to calm down.
Still, the feel of the Magistrate’s hand in his hair startled him.
Casual touches between spirit wolves weren’t uncommon, since they
were tactile creatures, but Marcus always preferred to stick with
Sebastian’s touch and no other’s.
Wolfram’s voice seeped into his mind like a trickle of warm
water. “It’s all right. I won’t harm you.”
Marcus forced himself to accept it, and soon reality dwindled, and
he found himself in a sort of void, a realm beyond all reality. The
astral plane. Wolfram popped in next to him and smiled. “Hello,
Marcus.”
Marcus bowed again. “Greetings, My Lord.”
Wolfram tsked. “None of that here. Just relax and ask me
whatever question you want.”
Marcus considered his ruler’s offer. He didn’t know what he
wanted. He was too confused to even make any coherent inquiries.
“Can’t you read my thoughts?”
Wolfram chuckled. “I could, but I respect your privacy. Come, let
me show you your wolf. You’ll feel better afterward.”
A beautiful light emerged from somewhere ahead of them, and
from it, a gray wolf. The animal padded in their direction and stopped
in front of Marcus.
Marcus had turned into his wolf before, but pups like him weren’t
able to control their powers, so they mostly remained in human form
until their coming of age. He knelt next to the animal and caressed the
soft fur. With each passing second, he sensed a power grow inside
him, until at last the wolf began to dissipate and its white cells passed
into Marcus. He felt the spiritual connection with his beast click into
Three Mates, One Destiny
11
place, and glee filled him at the knowledge that, from now on, he’d be
united with his wolf.
Marcus got up and looked at his leader, waiting to see what would
happen now. Wolfram grinned at him. “Excellent job. I’ve seen few
youngsters so in touch with their wolves.”
Embarrassment rushed through Marcus at the praise. “Th–thank
you, My Lord.”
Wolfram just smiled again. The astral plane began to diminish
around them, and Wolfram’s power propelled Marcus back into
reality. When he opened his eyes, he’d been sent back to the throne
room.
Excitement filled Marcus. The heat of Sebastian’s eyes on him
made him fidget with impatience. Now more than ever, he understood
Sebastian was not only his best friend, but also his mate. He wanted to
shout it to the world, to claim Sebastian as his and have the other wolf
claim him. But he couldn’t, not yet. He needed to be patient, just a
while longer.
The beast inside him paced restlessly, aching to be with its mate.
Still, Marcus waited. Wolfram passed him and went on to help the
other youngsters. The ceremony took forever, and when at last, it
ended, Marcus sent a prayer of thanks to the Spirit Mother.
Much to his dismay, however, the second they were allowed to
mingle, his family surrounded him, creating a barrier between him
and Sebastian. “You did a good job, son,” his father, Ezekiel, said.
“Now all we have to do is find you a mate.”
Marcus bristled. “You don’t find me a mate, Father,” he shot
back. “I will. The Spirit Mother will show me the way to my other
half.” He refrained from saying that She’d already done so.
His mother, Harriet, smiled tightly. “Of course, but that doesn’t
mean we can’t nudge you along a bit.”
Marcus didn’t trust their nudging, so he didn’t comment further.
“We’ll see. I’ll be right back, all right?”
12
Scarlet Hyacinth
He made his escape before they could say anything else. When he
tried to find Sebastian again in the crowd, he spotted his mate in a
darker corner with Peter.
As always, the two seemed to be arguing. Marcus made his way
there, eager to come to his best friend and mate’s defense. As he
approached, he heard a few of the murmured insults. “Whatever
mother says, you’ll always be the bastard son of a human whore.”
Marcus saw Sebastian’s expression darken and knew he had to
hurry or else his friend might cause a scene right then and there.
Thankfully, he got there in time and placed himself between Sebastian
and Peter. “Now, now, let’s not fight. This is a party. ”
Peter sneered at him, but didn’t answer. Instead, he glared at his
brother. “Consider yourself lucky. Your little friend won’t always be
here to save you.”
On that unpleasant note, Peter took off. Fortunately, Sebastian let
him, even if Marcus could sense how hard it was for him. “Thanks,”
Sebastian finally said. “I think I would have punched him or worse if
you hadn’t intervened.”
Marcus opened his mouth to answer, but didn’t get the chance. All
of a sudden, Sebastian covered his mouth with his hand and pulled
him deeper into the shadows.
“Shh,” Sebastian whispered in his ear. “It’s Sophia.”
Indeed, Marcus spotted his sister, Sophia, and her brood heading
their way and her husband closely behind her. She passed them by
without feeling them, and Marcus breathed a sigh of relief.
“Come on,” he told his mate. “The coast is clear. Let’s go
outside.”
They made their way into the gardens. The couples hadn’t yet
finished partying, and very few people were around. Marcus and
Sebastian chose a secluded spot and sat down in the grass. “How do
you feel?” Sebastian asked. “Everything okay? The wolf?”
“I’m fine. It went great.” He grinned at his friend, thankful
Sebastian had apparently forgotten about the unpleasant episode with
Three Mates, One Destiny
13
his half brother. “The Magistrate praised me for accepting my wolf so
easily.”
Sebastian smiled back. “Excellent. I can’t wait to run with you.”
The words brought back some of the doubts from before. He
nodded and bit his lip in nervousness. Sebastian was only a few years
older than him, which in spirit wolf terms meant next to nothing. And
yet, Marcus felt so young, so very inexperienced. He didn’t know
how to deal with these overwhelming emotions.
“What’s the matter, Marcus?” Sebastian asked. “Are you all
right?”
Marcus took a deep breath and steeled himself. Perhaps he should
wait a bit more to do this, but if he didn’t get his feelings out in the
open, he’d die. “Fine. It’s just that… You’re my mate, Bastian.”
For a few moments, Sebastian didn’t speak, and Marcus feared he
would be denied. At last, Sebastian sighed and said, “I know. I’ve
always known. But your parents will never agree. I’m an illegitimate
son, and with a human no less. They can barely stand the sight of
me.”
Marcus acknowledged the truth of his mate’s words. He’d many
times argued with his family about Sebastian. He’d tried to change his
parents’ minds. It didn’t work, and, in the end, he’d just ignored their
opinion and remained steadfast in his. “It doesn’t matter,” he told
Sebastian. “I don’t care what they think.”
Sebastian grimaced. “I’m going to be a hunter, Marcus. I signed
up for it yesterday.”
Marcus gaped at Sebastian in shock. “What? Why? When did you
decide this? You’re far too young.”
“I’ve been thinking about it for quite a while,” Sebastian replied.
“If I make my family and the nation proud, perhaps your parents can
accept me.”
Marcus shook his head furiously. “No, Bastian. There’s no point
in risking your life for something so trivial.”
14
Scarlet Hyacinth
“It’s not just that,” Sebastian answered. “The problem with the
ferals is becoming worse, and we’re short of men. I overheard my dad
talking about it. I don’t want to disappoint him, or Alice.”
This time, Marcus couldn’t come up with an argument. He knew
his mate worshipped his family. Roland assumed responsibility for
him even if Sebastian had been born to a human woman and not his
wife. Even more strikingly, Alice accepted Sebastian, which meant a
lot to Marcus’s friend, orphaned from his mother at birth. True
enough, Sebastian had been conceived before Alice and Roland met,
but her affection for her stepson didn’t dwindle even after Peter’s
birth. Peter, however, caused Sebastian problems these days, as the
night’s argument clearly showed. Marcus’s family didn’t help either.
“All right,” Marcus said. “If you want to be a hunter so much,
we’ll go together.”
It was Sebastian’s turn to look shocked. “What? Marc, no… You
can’t…”
“We’ll go to the Magistrate and ask him to pair us up,” Marcus
continued, undeterred. “He won’t be surprised. He knows we’re
friends.”
“But Marc…”
This time, Marcus chose a more efficient way to shut his mate up.
He pressed his lips to Sebastian’s in a kiss both hungry and hesitant—
their first kiss. At first, Sebastian tensed, but then his arms went
around Marcus’s neck, pulling him closer until their bodies were flush
together. Hot arousal swept through Marcus when he felt Sebastian’s
erection against his. He wanted to get rid of their clothing, to be skin
to skin with his mate and bind them together for all time.
The need to breathe forced them apart, and they broke the kiss.
“Marc,” Sebastian whispered against Marcus’s lips. “I’ve waited for
this for so long.”
“Me, too,” Marcus replied.
He rubbed against Sebastian, biting his lip as the friction between
them drove shocks of pleasure through him. Sebastian groaned,
Three Mates, One Destiny
15
echoing his motions. The clothes frustrated Marcus, and he could
sense the same emotions coming from his mate. Indeed, Sebastian
slipped his hand between them and undid both of their pants. Marcus
wiggled a bit, giving his mate space to work. He’d experimented
some by himself, but nothing prepared him for his mate’s first touch.
When Sebastian’s warm fist wrapped around his cock, Marcus
thought he’d died and gone to heaven.
“Fuck, Bastian,” he panted out. “More.”
Sebastian chuckled breathlessly, but didn’t speak. Soon, Marcus’s
thought processes scrambled as well. Sebastian brought their cocks
together, and the intimate contact almost short-circuited his brain
cells. His body took over, knowing what to do in spite of Marcus’s
inexperience in the bedroom.
They thrust against each other, their own pre-cum slicking their
dicks up and helping the glide. Marcus’s mind became a litany of his
mate’s name, and his entire self focused on their bodies moving
together. Pleasure sizzled over his every nerve, and his wolf howled
inside him, loving each touch from Sebastian. But like Sebastian had
said, they’d waited for this for too long. All too soon, Marcus sensed
his orgasm approach. He tried to keep it in check, reluctant to let go
of the moment. Sebastian’s low voice whispered in his ear, “It’s all
right. Let go. Come for me, my mate.”
Still, Marcus held on. He wanted more. He wanted to connect
with Sebastian completely, to have his mate fuck him. Perhaps this
wasn’t the best place for it, but he couldn’t find it himself to care.
Sebastian must have understood his need. In a flash, he changed
their positions, moving Marcus on all fours. Marcus trembled as his
mate exposed his ass. He’d never been with anyone before, always
waiting for the day when he could at last be claimed by Sebastian.
Now, that day had finally come.
Sebastian’s hands trembled a bit, and Marcus heard his mate take
a deep breath. “I’ll make it so good for you, Marc. I promise.”
16
Scarlet Hyacinth
Marcus didn’t have a doubt. He pushed his ass up, silently telling
his mate he was ready. In truth, he didn’t know much about
copulation, and he was pretty sure Sebastian didn’t fare any better, but
he figured they would learn together.
Sebastian separated his ass cheeks and for a few moments, Marcus
didn’t even breathe, waiting to see what his mate would do. To his
shock, he felt a wet tongue swipe over his crease. The sensations that
burst through him were out of this world, forbidden, sinful, and oh-so-
amazing. Marcus had never heard of such a thing, even between men,
but he could tell Sebastian enjoyed it as well, so he went with it.
His mate’s tongue stabbed into his hole like a tiny cock, and
Marcus bit his lip to prevent himself from crying out. He well
remembered all the people who’d come here just to see him and the
other youngsters be initiated in the pack. Strangely, the danger of
discovery made it all even more exciting. His dick, already rock hard
from the earlier frottage, begged for release. He was so close, so very
close.
“Please, Bastian,” he murmured. “In me.” He wanted to come
with his mate deep inside him.
Sebastian obeyed. His tongue vanished, and Marcus didn’t even
have time to feel the loss. His mate positioned his cock at his opening
and, in one single hard push, thrust inside.
Marcus could not deny it hurt. Sebastian’s cock speared him,
splitting him into two. His mate cursed and immediately stopped.
“Sorry. I just… Sorry.”
Sebastian started to move away, but Marcus refused to allow his
mate’s escape. The initial shock of pain already dwindled into a
pleasant burn. His dick, which had briefly gone limp, regained
interest. “Bastian,” he whispered, “fuck me.”
He probably didn’t even have to say it. Even if they hadn’t
finalized their connection, they could still feel each other’s emotions
to a certain extent—especially now that Marcus finally gained control
of his abilities.
Three Mates, One Destiny
17
Slowly, Sebastian pulled out and thrust back in. The motion
jostled a spot inside Marcus that made ecstasy course through him.
Against his will, he cried out. “Shh,” Sebastian said as he continued to
move. “Wouldn’t want anyone to hear.”
His voice sounded husky, but the teasing note was familiar.
Marcus might have feared he’d lose Sebastian as a friend by gaining
him as a mate, but this definitely proved him wrong.
“Easy for you to say, B—” he shot back. When another thrust hit
the same spot, his own moan cut off his reply. “Do that again.”
Sebastian didn’t need more encouragement. He fucked Marcus
with abandonment, unleashing the full extent of his passion. Marcus
completely lost himself to the pleasure. At one point, he found the
presence of mind to tear a bit of material from his shirt and muffle his
cries with it. He could not have held back now to save his life.
Sebastian’s lips traveled over his neck and a shock of pain passed
through Marcus as his mate bit down into his skin. Their minds
connected, the mate bond sealing through the claiming bite. For a few
beautiful instants, Marcus sensed what Sebastian did and tasted his
own blood in his mouth.
The incredible sensations pushed Marcus over the edge, and he
found his peak, sweeping away every doubt and leaving only
happiness and ecstasy behind. By some miracle, he managed to
preserve enough composure to keep himself from crying out.
Moments later, Sebastian came as well, his seed hot against Marcus’s
skin.
They collapsed into the grass, exhausted, spent, but content.
“Love you, my mate,” Sebastian said.
“Love you right back, Bastian. Now stop being corny and help me
mend my shirt.”
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Scarlet Hyacinth
Chapter One
Present day
In the darkness of the alley, Sebastian carefully trudged forward.
He sensed the enemy ahead. He could scent the corruption, the
unclean nature of its kind. It seemed more powerful than usual. Was
there more than one, perhaps?
Sebastian shrugged to himself, all the while keeping his guard up.
He could take on more than a few ferals without chancing death, but
he hadn’t survived so many decades by being reckless.
He considered waiting for reinforcements, but decided against it.
Marcus had just recovered from a severe injury, and Sebastian didn’t
want to risk throwing his mate and partner into the game again.
At last, he spotted a crouching figure on the ground. The wolf
inside him growled, instantly identifying it as their target. Still,
Sebastian hesitated. The figure was too small to be a feral. Could this
be some sort of trap?
He scanned the tops of the buildings around him, but he couldn’t
detect anything else. The figure didn’t move, nor did it acknowledge
his presence in any way. Odd. Sebastian had been careful in his
approach, but ferals could sense a spirit wolf a mile away. This
seemed more and more suspicious by the moment.
Behind him, Sebastian felt Marcus approach. He signaled for his
mate to stop and take a look up ahead. When he reached Sebastian,
Marcus followed his advice. Sebastian could scent the tension and
adrenaline on Marcus. Much to his dismay, it made him hard.
Three Mates, One Destiny
19
Shaking away the distracting arousal, Sebastian focused on the
figure once again. Trap or no trap, the feral needed to be caught.
Marcus nodded at him and together, they lunged forward.
Still, the feral did not move. A whimpering sound escaped it, and
both Sebastian and Marcus faltered. What was this trickery?
“Is anyone there?” a weak, male voice came. “Please, please help
me.”
Sebastian shared a look with Marcus. If this was the feral’s idea of
a joke, he didn’t like it. He’d seen many spirit wolves fall prey to such
wickedness and had no desire of becoming the next.
But something in that voice urged him on. Even the wolf inside
him became uncertain now, and Sebastian sniffed the air. The scent of
blood and semen struck him almost instantly, and Sebastian recoiled.
It had been camouflaged by the stench of feral, but now, it seemed so
pungent Sebastian didn’t know how he could have missed it in the
first place.
Marcus must’ve smelled the same thing as he rushed forward with
no caution whatsoever. Sebastian cursed and hastened after the other
man. They’d both been taught to save innocents when they could, and
this person, whoever he was, seemed to be the victim of a feral.
Marcus knelt on the dirty pavement and wiped the grime off the
stranger’s face. A pale, young face appeared from beyond the filth,
the beautiful features marred by agony. He looked so quite young, and
he’d suffered from the attack of a feral.
“It’s okay,” Marcus whispered. “We’re here to help.”
Marcus took off his jacket and wrapped it around the young man.
“Tell me, what’s your name?”
“Ross,” the victim answered weakly.
“All right, Ross,” Marcus said. “We’ll take you to a hospital.”
“I don’t have any money,” Ross somehow managed to say.
Marcus predictably ignored him and took the boy in his arms.
“It doesn’t matter,” Sebastian said. “We’ll take care of it. Don’t
worry.”
20
Scarlet Hyacinth
The pursuit for the ferals would have to wait. First, they needed to
take care of the young man who’d somehow ended up a casualty of a
war not his own.
Since their appearance in the world, spirit wolves had established
support bases in most of the large cities in the world. Chicago didn’t
represent an exception. Even if it was quite a distance away from their
home, they could still find a clinic here to take care of Ross.
They headed out of the alley and toward their car. The sight of the
vehicle reminded Sebastian of his frustration with Marcus. “You
should have stayed here, Marcus,” he told the other spirit wolf. “I
could’ve taken care of this myself.”
“Well, I couldn’t know that if I didn’t come with you, right?”
Marcus shot back.
They glared at each other, and Sebastian looked away first.
Sometimes, Marcus’s eyes saw far too much. Seeing Ross there, on
the ground, covered in blood, reminded Sebastian of another day,
when he had been the one to kneel next to Marcus’s bloody body.
He’d thought Marcus would die for sure, but through some miracle, or
rather, because of their leader’s help, the other man pulled through.
The memories still lingered, though, forever at the forefront of
Sebastian’s mind. Marcus was not only Sebastian’s partner and best
friend, but also his mate, the other half of his soul. Sebastian had been
against Marcus even coming back to work, but his mate insisted he
couldn’t rest any longer, lest he go insane.
Marcus’s soft voice reached out to him. “Bastian… I’m fine now,
really I am. You don’t have to worry about me anymore.”
Sebastian grunted, acknowledging the words without having a real
reply for it. He needed to focus on their current task, not on his
personal problems with Marcus. But as they left the alley, Sebastian
realized his first impression had been both true and false. Even in the
clear air, Ross smelled like feral, and his state seemed to be
worsening.
Three Mates, One Destiny
21
Sebastian scanned what little he could see of Ross’s skin, until at
last, his eyes fell on the young man’s shoulder. An ugly bite lay there,
hidden under the grime. It looked infected, and Sebastian knew it
would only get worse from there.
“Ah, fuck,” he and Marcus said at the same time.
Marcus hastened the pace even as he tried to get Ross’s attention.
“Ross, listen to me. Can you hear me?”
Ross moaned, but cracked his eyes open. “What? Yes, I can hear
you.”
“Okay, good. Can you tell us what happened? It’s very important
that you do.”
For a few seconds, Ross didn’t speak. When he finally did, the
words came out in bursts, weak and almost incoherent. “A man… He
said he’d give me money. I didn’t want to, but I was hungry, so
hungry.”
Sebastian cursed under his breath. He hated having to make Ross
relive the experience, but they needed to know what they could
expect.
“We came here. I agreed to…with my mouth…” Tears streamed
down Ross’s cheeks now, and his body trembled. “I can’t… I’m
sorry. I can’t.”
“It’s all right, Ross,” Marcus said. “Don’t think about it anymore.
You’ve said enough.”
Sebastian nodded at his friend. They’d have to wait until Ross
recovered a bit to figure out who’d done this. Hopefully, then, they
would manage to piece together what Ross hadn’t told them.
* * * *
Anger swelled inside Marcus, hot and bright. Ross had been bitten
by a feral. Marcus himself suffered from a serious injury after such an
attack, and he knew how horrible it could be. The wounds had
threatened his life, in spite of his spirit wolf nature. The advanced
22
Scarlet Hyacinth
healing abilities helped him heal in the end, but Ross didn’t have such
luck. How much had this human suffered at the hands of the ferals?
Would Ross even be able to survive?
Marcus didn’t smell death on him, but his state would only
deteriorate from this point on. Many of the humans bitten by ferals
didn’t live through the infection. And even if Ross did manage to
defeat the physical wounds, his ordeal would cause him to turn into
one of the things that hurt him in the first place.
For Marcus and Sebastian, the issue represented a humongous
problem. They were hunters. They killed ferals, weeding the savage
beasts out, ensuring they didn’t pollute their kin even more. What
would they do now, with this feral offspring in their grasp?
Together with his mate, Marcus entered the car. Sebastian got
behind the wheel, while Marcus took the backseat with Ross. The
young man lost consciousness, and Marcus knew they needed to find
medical attention as soon as possible, or there might not be anything
left to save.
But where could they go? Their clinics would not receive a feral.
In fact, if they even considered bringing Ross there, the other spirit
wolves would just kill Ross and be done with it. Hell, he and
Sebastian should have done it. Even doubting went against their rules.
The letter of the law clearly instructed them to show no mercy to the
ferals. All those who didn’t agree would be punished. But Ross was
so damned young. He didn’t deserve this.
“This is so fucked up,” Sebastian growled. “We can’t let him die.”
Marcus nodded, his mate’s emotions blending with his own. He
knew his near death put a great strain on the other man, and he
seemed a step away from snapping. Marcus feared for him, and for
this reason, he’d come with Sebastian, managing to convince the
Magistrate to reinstate him as a hunter.
He and Sebastian had been together forever, ever since they’d
been pups. For Marcus, Sebastian meant more than his own family.
Unfortunately, it was Marcus’s kin who kept him from revealing their
Three Mates, One Destiny
23
mating to the spirit wolf society. So much time had passed, and yet
his parents refused to accept Sebastian among them.
Marcus wouldn’t have cared, except Sebastian decided to lay low
and keep their mating to themselves. At first, it hurt, but then Marcus
understood it was no one’s business but theirs. Their leader, Wolfram
Rozenstadt, probably suspected, and Marcus might have to tell him
soon. But other than that, he didn’t care about what other people
thought of him.
On occasion, his and Sebastian’s opinions clashed, but this time,
Marcus couldn’t agree more. They couldn’t abandon Ross to his fate.
As they considered their options, Marcus’s cell phone vibrated in
his pocket. He retrieved it and stared at the display in disbelief. Why
would the Magistrate be calling them? Marcus only had Wolfram’s
number because of the incident in Trier, the mission to watch over
Wolfram’s mates which led him to be injured. He’d never once used
it, and he wouldn’t have dared to do so now.
Hesitantly, Marcus took the call. “Hello, My Lord,” he greeted the
Magistrate.
“Greetings, Marcus. I’ll get right to the point. You’ve found a
young man bitten by a feral.”
It wasn’t a question, but a statement. Marcus froze, not knowing
what to say or do. Sure, he’d been aware of his leader’s powers, but
he’d never witnessed its direct results before. For crying out loud,
they’d only just run into Ross five minutes ago. “Y–Yes, My Lord.”
“You will take him to the Hart compound. Doctor Andrew Blunt
will be waiting there for you. Now go to the airport. I will make
arrangements for an aircraft to be at your disposal.”
Marcus couldn’t help but be awed. His leader always went out of
his way to try and help every injured human. He understood and
appreciated Wolfram’s concern. After all, they all bore the blame for
each and every human death. In the end, the ferals originated from
spirit wolves, twisting the pure nature of their original race into
24
Scarlet Hyacinth
something entirely different. If anything, he felt thankful Wolfram
understood and supported them.
“Thank you, My Lord,” he told The Magistrate. “We will go there
at once.”
“Contact me once you land at the Hart compound. Good-bye.”
Wolfram ended the connection, and Marcus was left staring at the
cell phone in disbelief. The revving of the engine snapped him out of
his daze. “I guess we’re heading toward the airport then,” Sebastian
said.
Marcus put his cell phone back in his pocket. “Go. We need to
hurry.”
As Sebastian drove off, Marcus held onto Ross’s feverish body,
caressing the human’s hair. He desperately hoped they’d reach the
Hart compound in time and Doctor Blunt would be able to help them.
If not, Marcus himself might be forced to kill Ross.
* * * *
Paulie chewed on the pencil end as he took in the information in
the book in front of him. Data formed a picture in his head, making
him see beyond the boundaries of his current possibilities. Chemistry
and medicine had always been his passion, particularly on the
veterinarian branch. He’d been blessed with a father very gifted in
science who mentored him in everything he needed to know. More so,
in the past years, he’d seen and done things other scholars could have
only dreamed of.
Seven years back, his dad, Drew, met Trent Hart and Valerius
D’Averam. It turned out the two of them were spirit wolves and
Drew’s mates. Paulie ended up living at the Hart compound, with his
dad. At one point, he’d begun to think of Trent and Valerius as two
more fathers. It was a strange existence to say the least, but Paulie had
no complaints. He loved studying the feral virus that caused so much
Three Mates, One Destiny
25
damage among the spirit wolves and ached to find a cure for it. Here,
he’d also found a family and friends who cared about him.
But in the past month or so, Paulie had begun to feel restless. He
couldn’t explain it, but often times, he found his mind wandering.
Where, he himself didn’t know, but it bothered him. He no longer
managed to focus on his job. So many people depended on him and
his father, and he was letting them all down.
They’d come up with a serum that helped ferals fight the virus,
but the battle wasn’t over. The Magistrate ordered testing it on feral
prisoners, something both Paulie and his dad hated. The serum
seemed to be working, but the side effects weren’t encouraging. The
treated men started to have suicidal tendencies, and some became
insane beyond their feral nature. Paulie suspected they couldn’t
withstand the memory of what they’d done during the time they’d
been sick. Paulie couldn’t help them with their memories, and it broke
his heart to hear their tortured screams.
He snapped out of his musings when he heard the door open.
Drew came in. The moment Paulie saw him, he knew something had
happened. To most people, Drew looked perpetually unruffled, but
Paulie could see beyond the façade. He noticed the hurt and dismay
Drew felt whenever they failed to help someone. Lately, it appeared
more and more due to their combined inability to aid the treated
ferals. “What happened?” Paulie asked his dad. “Did someone get
hurt downstairs?”
Downstairs represented their code word for the area holding the
ferals prisoners. Much to Paulie’s surprise, Drew shook his head.
“We’ve received word from Wolfram. Sebastian Morrigan and
Marcus Deacon found an injured human. He’s been bitten.”
Paulie’s eyes widened and he shot to his feet. “You can’t mean…
Dad, the serum isn’t ready! You saw the side effects. We can’t use it
as treatment, not yet.”
“I know that,” Drew replied bitingly. “Don’t panic. Wolfram left
it up to us if we use it or not. But you know the situation as well as I
26
Scarlet Hyacinth
do. Once a human is infected, he or she doesn’t have much chance of
fighting the virus.”
Paulie gave his father an apologetic look. It wasn’t his dad’s fault
for any of this. They were both trying their best. It just seemed that
the only cure for the virus lay in the bond between three mates. No
matter what Paulie and Drew attempted, they simply couldn’t
replicate it in the lab.
“Sorry, Dad,” Paulie said. “I’m a bit edgy. We’ll see what
happens when they bring him in.”
He paused, recalling the names his father had mentioned.
“Sebastian and Marcus? Are they those guys you met at the
Magistrate’s mating celebration?”
Drew nodded. “Marcus is a nice guy, among the few who didn’t
treat me like crap. I don’t know what to think about Sebastian. He was
a bit standoffish. At any rate, it doesn’t matter. You’ll meet them
yourself soon enough.”
Paulie couldn’t help but feel nervous. Even if he’d gotten used to
the world of the spirit wolves, he remained painfully shy and
preferred sticking to his test tubes rather than going out to meet
people. The staff at the compound no longer made him
uncomfortable, but once in a while, they received a visitor, and
Paulie’s comfortable cocoon was shattered. In truth, he’d gotten better
at it as of late, and he couldn’t explain the sudden increase in anxiety.
“You all right, kiddo?” his dad asked.
Paulie nodded. “Fine. Don’t worry about it.” It was probably just
the stress getting to him.
Drew didn’t look very convinced, but he let it go. “Come on. Let’s
prepare the equipment for when the patient comes.” He frowned and
squinted at Paulie. “Wait… Is that a gray hair?”
The abrupt change in topic took Paulie by surprise. Before he
could figure out what was going on, his father crossed the room and
invaded his personal space. Drew passed his hand through Paulie’s
hair and cursed. “It is. You’re getting gray hair.”
Three Mates, One Destiny
27
Paulie recovered from his shock and pushed Drew away. “Dad,
stop making such a fuss for nothing.”
Predictably, Drew ignored him. “No, you’ve been working far too
hard. You’re going to get some sleep. I don’t want you to come down
with something.”
Paulie didn’t even bother to protest, or to point out gray hair could
easily appear for hereditary causes, not just because of old age. His
dad had become impossibly protective in the past few years, and
Paulie suspected the cause. In seven years, Drew hadn’t aged a day.
He looked the same as the moment he’d been infected with the feral
virus. Back then, the double bite from Valerius and Trent saved Drew,
but at the same time, changed his DNA. Now, Drew’s life expectancy
had extended, while Paulie remained a normal human, doomed to
wither away and die. These days, the smallest thing—a cough or the
appearance of a gray hair—could trigger a small panic attack from
Drew.
So Paulie allowed his father to push him out of the lab and take
him to his room. Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to get some sleep. Drew
could take care of the preparations by himself, and Paulie would be
more useful to Drew well rested, when the patient actually arrived.
28
Scarlet Hyacinth
Chapter Two
Through the speed of the promised helicopter, Marcus, Sebastian,
and Ross reached the Maine compound of the Hart family faster than
expected. As they approached their destination, a sort of weird
apprehension filled Sebastian. At first, he thought it could be due to
the imminent clash with Andrew Blunt. Sebastian met the man at the
Magistrate’s mating ceremony. He’d been still out of sorts due to
Marcus’s injury, and his rudeness insulted the human doctor. But he’d
never once faltered in the face of someone else’s anger, and he had no
reason to do so now.
Soon, his chest began to ache and his mind swam with confusion
and something akin to longing. At one point, Sebastian realized
Marcus could feel it, as well, and not only through their mate bond.
He tried to focus on Ross and the urgency of saving the injured
human, but the closer they got, the more intense the feeling became.
He’d only experienced something similar once, when he’d first
met Marcus. Even now, his entire being screamed “mate,” and the
wolf within howled, demanding to be let out to find their destiny.
Sebastian wouldn’t have considered it possible to feel such a thing
again, but he’d seen three matings involving three people so far. He
might have a third mate, as well.
Of course, the helicopter traveled faster than Sebastian could—
even in shifted form—and the knowledge, and Marcus’s presence,
kept him from jumping outside from a height that could have very
well broken every bone in his body. He almost missed the moment
they landed, the anxiety and impatience overwhelming his senses.
Three Mates, One Destiny
29
Realizing his lapse, he took a few moments to calm down then opened
the helicopter door and went out.
Sebastian helped Marcus carry Ross. The condition of the poor
human had deteriorated greatly, and Sebastian could already see the
venom taking control of Ross’s mind. It drove away some of his own
selfish need, and he reacquired his control.
Outside, Andrew Blunt and his mates were waiting for them.
“Come on,” Andrew said without preamble. “Let’s take him inside.”
Sebastian nodded and rushed after the human doctor. His instincts
told him his mate was somewhere inside the compound, but he kept
them in check, knowing he needed to help Ross now.
Andrew led them into a well-guarded clinic that boasted every
piece of medical technology in existence, and some Sebastian hadn’t
even known about. It seemed to be better equipped than the
Magistrate’s. This surprised Sebastian, but gave him hope for Ross’s
future.
Marcus, Sebastian, and Andrew entered a room that looked like an
examination area of sorts, while Valerius and Trent stopped in front
of the door. The doctor indicated for them to place Ross on the bed. In
swift, efficient motions, he put on surgical gloves and analyzed
Ross’s wound. “How long ago did he receive the bite?” he asked in a
neutral tone.
“We’re not sure. A few hours ago,” Sebastian replied.
“As far as we could tell, he’s a homeless boy,” Marcus added.
“Well, that explains it. The infection is spreading rapidly,” the
doctor explained. “His immune system is weakened by lack of proper
nutrition. Did he tell you his name?”
“Ross.”
“All right. We’ll begin treating him at once.”
As Andrew spoke, the feeling of need that never left burst through
Sebastian once again. The door burst open and a young blond man
rushed inside. “What’s going on, Dad? How is he?”
30
Scarlet Hyacinth
“Not so good,” Andrew replied. He glanced at Marcus and
Sebastian. “Gentlemen, this is my son, Paul. He will be assisting me
with the treatment of the patient. Now, I’m going to have to ask you
to wait outside.”
The doctor’s words barely registered. Sebastian could only focus
on Paul Blunt, his other mate. Marcus seemed just as flabbergasted.
For Paul’s part, the young man stared at them for a few moments,
his beautiful blue eyes wide. Then, he looked away and turned all his
attention to Ross. Andrew Blunt cleared his throat. “Gentlemen…”
Sebastian snapped out of his daze. “Right. We’ll be outside. Let
us know of any change.”
Together with Marcus, Sebastian left the examination room. Trent
and Valerius were in the same place, waiting at the door. There were
soldiers stationed at each end of the corridor, but the distance allowed
them some privacy.
Sebastian had never been close to the two men, especially
Valerius who, as a Judiciary, went way beyond anything Sebastian
could ever accomplish. But for whatever reason, they seemed more
approachable now. “Drew and Paulie are excellent doctors,” Trent
offered. “If anyone can help Ross, it’s them.”
Sebastian didn’t know what to say to that, so he just nodded and
leaned against the wall. After a short silence, Valerius piped in. “I’m
not sure you know this, but you two could have bitten him and it
would’ve healed the virus.”
Sebastian blinked in confusion. How would their bite help?
“The three-way mate bond can heal anything,” Valerius finished.
Realization dawned, and heat flooded Sebastian’s face as he
figured out he and Marcus must have been broadcasting their
emotions all over the place. “It’s not like that,” he said weakly. “Ross
is not our mate.”
Valerius frowned. “Oh? But Marcus and you are, right?” He
shook his head and lifted his hand. “No, never mind. It’s none of my
business.”
Three Mates, One Destiny
31
Sebastian shared a look with Marcus. Given that their mate was
Andrew Blunt’s son, he’d also become Valerius and Trent’s child.
Consequently, the situation involved them a lot. But Sebastian
couldn’t tell them, not yet. He needed to have a chat with Marcus
first.
Before he could flee, Valerius’s expression shifted, becoming
unreadable, yet somehow ominous. “Wait… I know what I sensed. If
the boy is not your mate, who is?”
Realization dawned and the other man seemed to get even more
troubled. “Paulie,” Valerius and Trent said at the same time.
Sebastian didn’t have the heart to deny it, even if the two spirit
wolves didn’t look too thrilled. He just nodded and waited to see what
Valerius and Trent would say.
He might just be excessively apprehensive, but Sebastian wanted
everything to work out with Paulie. Even a hundred years after he’d
become Marcus’s mate, Harriet and Ezekiel Deacon still treated him
like something they scraped off their shoes. They’d never accepted his
union with their son. For this reason, Sebastian had chosen to keep
everything a secret. At the same time, he knew Marcus suffered
because of the way the Deacons acted with them. He didn’t want the
story to repeat itself.
“Well, first, I’ll congratulate you,” Trent said, although his voice
didn’t sound too gleeful.
“Thank you,” Marcus replied. “It’s really the last thing we
expected to find when we came here.”
Valerius gave them both a serious look. “We won’t stand in your
way, of course. But you must remember, he is very young. He’s had a
few years to get used to life amidst spirit wolves, but I’m not sure he’s
ready for a mating.”
Sebastian hated the insinuation that they’d do something to harm
their human mate. Before he could offer a scathing reply, Marcus
intervened. “We don’t plan to jump into anything. Besides, this
32
Scarlet Hyacinth
conversation is quite inappropriate. We have to talk to him first. It’s
what he wants that matters.”
Marcus was right. Paulie didn’t belong to their kind, so Sebastian
couldn’t figure out how the young man would react to this news. For
Sebastian’s part, he didn’t want to rush into things either. He’d spent
so many years with Marcus that the other man had become almost
like an extension of him. He didn’t know how a third would fit in.
The thought made him remember his own family situation. He
decided to give his father a call after he spoke to Marcus. It wouldn’t
hurt to get another opinion on this, and Roland always gave him good
advice.
The reverberations of silent footsteps alerted them to a new
presence, and the four men ended the conversation. Mr. and Mrs. Hart
appeared down the corridor, flanked by a group of soldiers. Sebastian
had already noticed the heavy security in the compound, and he felt
satisfied his young mate had been well cared for.
Marion and Grant Hart stopped in front of them and smiled. Their
daughter, Amy, joined her parents. “Welcome to our home, Sebastian,
Marcus,” Marion greeted them.
“It’s very nice to see you,” Grant continued.
Amy offered them a small smile. “I wish your visit could’ve had a
more pleasant reason.”
“Hello, Mr. Hart, Mrs. Hart,” Marcus replied. “Believe us, we’d
have liked the same.”
The spirit wolves engaged them in a conversation that mainly
rotated around Ross. Marcus and Sebastian repeated what they’d said
before and received more words of comfort in turn.
“Perhaps you should get some rest,” Amy suggested. “I think this
might take a while.”
Sebastian shook his head. He couldn’t imagine the thought of
leaving the door. First of all, he felt responsible for the human they’d
brought here. At the same time, he ached to be as close as possible to
his second mate.
Three Mates, One Destiny
33
“Thank you, but no,” he said. “We’ll wait.”
“Very well,” Marion said. “We’ll prepare rooms for you.” She
hesitated and continued, “Would you like separate quarters or just
one?”
Sebastian began to feel irritated. Was everyone on the Hart
compound so nosy? He forced himself to smile, while Marcus replied,
“One, Mrs. Hart. We appreciate it.”
She didn’t look in any way bothered by this, not that Sebastian
expected her to be. Few spirit wolves treated Sebastian differently
because of his birth mother. The Harts always struck him as kind and
loving people, unlike Marcus’s family.
Still, Sebastian felt relieved when the group left at last, and only
Trent and Valerius stayed behind. None of them made any attempt for
further conversation. They just waited there, outside the examination
room, their ears peeled for any sign of what was going on inside.
At one point, they began to hear light moans coming from inside.
Andrew opened the door and ushered Trent and Valerius inside.
When Sebastian offered to help as well, Andrew shook his head.
“It’s better if you just wait,” he replied. “Trent and Valerius have
done this before. Don’t worry. We’ll do our best to save him.”
Logically, Sebastian understood that. Besides, he didn’t know if
he could be useful at all with all the thoughts passing through his
mind. It was very strange to feel so lost and ill-prepared. The only
moment comparable had been when Marcus suffered from his life-
threatening injury. This time, however, confusion replaced remorse,
and only the sense of helplessness remained.
“You could go to the waiting room,” Drew continued. “It’s not
far, and you’d be more comfortable.”
“Thank you, but no,” Marcus replied. “We’ll stay here.”
The door closed once again, leaving Marcus and Sebastian alone.
As soon as he considered it safe, Sebastian began to speak. “He is our
mate, isn’t he?”
Marcus nodded. “What are we going to do, Bastian?”
34
Scarlet Hyacinth
“We’ll talk to him, see what he thinks,” Sebastian replied. “He
needs to know.”
Marcus looked thoughtful. “He probably already suspects. I could
see it in his eyes when he came in.”
Sebastian wouldn’t be surprised. Paulie had seen his father mate
two spirit wolves. He was bound to understand what it implied.
He sighed. “Well, for now, we can only wait and hope.”
He’d never once relied on mere hope, but the situation was out of
his hands. He’d need to be calm if he wanted to make something out
of this.
* * * *
The patient’s condition worsened more and more. Paulie and his
father did everything they could to boost Ross’s immune system and
help him fight the virus, but in the end, their efforts proved to be
futile. Their only hope remained the serum, the experimental drug
they were so reluctant to use.
There was another problem Paulie feared. The virus had two
strains, one that affected spirit wolves who lost control of their beast,
the other infecting bitten humans. A few suppositions led them to
think cured humans ended up like Linden and Drew, upgraded
somehow, whereas cured spirit wolves returned to their original state.
But that was hardly the issue, since they didn’t have a cure. So far, he
and his father had figured out the expected results of the serum on
feral spirit wolves. They’d never used it on humans before, and for all
they knew, they might do more harm than good.
When Ross began to stir, Drew summoned Trent and Valerius
inside to help them secure the patient. Through the crack of the door,
Paulie caught a brief glimpse of the two men who’d brought Ross in,
Sebastian and Marcus. He didn’t know what he’d expected of them,
but it certainly wasn’t what happened. He felt overcome by a
sensation of warmth that engulfed his whole body and a heavy
Three Mates, One Destiny
35
pressure in his chest. He managed to focus on Ross only because he
acknowledged the importance of helping the young man. His heart
trembled at the thought they’d have to use the serum, fearful at what
consequences it might be.
Nevertheless, he kept a tight grip on his professional demeanor
and retrieved the serum from the receptacle they kept it in. His hands
remained steady as he filled a syringe with the liquid. He sanitized a
spot on Ross’s hand and prepared himself to administer the drug,
when his father shook his head. “Let me.”
Paulie sighed to himself. He knew his dad trusted him, but at the
same time, Drew didn’t want him to feel bad if anything went amiss.
Unwilling to begin a debate on parental protectiveness, Paulie
obediently handed the syringe to his dad. After all, Drew was the
experienced human doctor, not him.
Ross cracked his eyes open, and Paulie could already see the feral
insanity lingering in their depths. Trent and Valerius took position by
the bed, guarding them, just in case Ross managed to break the
bindings they’d immobilized him with. Paulie hoped it wouldn’t be
necessary. If the serum worked, it would keep the disease in check.
Calmly, Drew administered the drug to Ross. Ross began to
struggle, and then the fight drained out of him, replaced by painful-
looking muscle spasms. Drew cursed, and Paulie’s heart fell. They’d
failed. Ross would die.
They rushed to find any medicine that could stabilize Ross’s
condition, but before they could do so, Ross went limp. Drew checked
Ross’s vital signs. When he looked at Paulie, his eyes held not a small
amount of relief. “His pulse is steady and strong. It might have
worked yet.”
Indeed, in the next hours, Ross’s fever dwindled and his general
state improved. Paulie began to hope they’d taken the right decision.
Of course, they wouldn’t know for sure until the patient woke up, but
at least the situation seemed to show some promise.
36
Scarlet Hyacinth
By evening, Paulie could safely say the serum had worked. Ross
even opened his eyes at one point, and although he didn’t regain
consciousness fully, he no longer looked gripped by the feral insanity.
At one point, Drew declared the situation safe enough for Paulie
to go and get some sleep. This time, Paulie did protest, but his dad
eventually convinced him. There was no sense in them both watching
over a sleeping patient. The worst had passed, and if Drew needed
assistance, he’d get another of the clinic medics.
Drew’s protectiveness began to get on Paulie’s nerves. After all,
how much could a healthy twenty–two-year-old sleep? Still, perhaps
it wouldn’t be a bad idea to check on their downstairs patients while
his dad watched over Ross. Not to mention that he wanted to see
Sebastian and Marcus.
The thought made him strangely excited, and he didn’t even know
why. He remembered the time his dad hooked up with Valerius and
Trent. Could the two hunters be his mates?
Paulie shook himself. He’d only caught a fleeting glimpse of the
men. For all he knew, his excitement could be caused by his need to
help Ross.
“Hey, kiddo,” Trent said, “take care, you hear?”
Valerius just gave him a penetrating look, and Paulie could see the
concern behind it. Drew seemed puzzled by the exchange, so Paulie
fled before his father could demand an explanation.
He left the examination room and froze in his tracks when he saw
Sebastian and Marcus waiting in front of it. He realized in dismay he
didn’t even know which was which.
“Hello,” one of them, a gorgeous blond, said. “We haven’t been
officially introduced. I’m Marcus Deacon, and this is my mate,
Sebastian Morrigan.”
Marcus’s voice sounded like silk caressing Paulie’s skin. He
didn’t know how he managed to keep enough coherence and reply,
“I’m Paulie. I mean, Paul Blunt. It’s nice to meet you.”
“It is,” the second hunter—Sebastian—replied. “How is Ross?”
Three Mates, One Destiny
37
The serious topic gave Paulie the ability to recover. “He seems to
be doing better. We won’t know for sure until he wakes.”
Sebastian nodded. “If you’re not too busy, could we maybe have a
word with you, someplace private?”
Paulie’s heart began to beat faster. “Certainly. There’s a waiting
room somewhere around here. We could go there.”
“That’s fine,” Marcus replied. “Lead the way.”
Paulie obeyed, his mind swimming with the possible outcomes of
this conversation. What did they want to tell him? What would he
reply? God, had his dad been so confused seven years back?
He walked on autopilot, unable to say a single word. The silence
stretching between them held an underlying current of sensual energy.
Paulie could feel their gazes on him, hot and insistent. His legs began
to tremble and almost gave out. He had no idea how he even managed
to reach the waiting room without swooning or anything just as
embarrassing.
They chose a comfortable couch and sat down, Marcus and
Sebastian next to each other, and Paulie facing them on a chair. “So…
What did you want to talk to me about? Like I said, I can’t tell you
more about Ross’s condition just yet.”
He was playing dumb, and judging by the expression of the two
spirit wolves, they knew it as well. Even so, they didn’t seem upset
with him, just slightly confused and troubled. “We appreciate you
helping Ross, but he isn’t what we intended to speak of,” Marcus said.
When he hesitated, Sebastian continued, “You are our mate. I
believe you know it, or at least suspect it.”
Paulie looked away, Sebastian’s dark gaze intimidating him. He
licked his dry lips and replied, “I suspected it, yes.” He didn’t
recognize his own, barely audible voice.
To his surprise, Marcus moved off the couch and knelt at Paulie’s
feet. His large hand took Paulie’s smaller one. “Look, I know this is
hard,” he whispered. “We’re not pushing you into anything. Take
your time, think about what you want. We don’t want to rush you.”
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Scarlet Hyacinth
Paulie looked at the two men once again. They were so close to
each other and looked so very comfortable. They didn’t make any
particularly intimate gestures, as if restraining themselves from
outright displays of affection, but Paulie sensed the connection
between them nevertheless.
It made sense, of course. If he was their mate, it meant the two of
them were together as well. Paulie began to feel uncomfortable. He
didn’t know how relationships between spirit wolves worked, but in
those he was familiar with, the three mates had met at the same time.
True enough, Dan bonded with Linden in his past life, but he didn’t
think their situation compared to this one. If his suspicions were
correct, he’d basically be the proverbial third wheel to a relationship
that had lasted more than his entire lifetime.
He retracted his hands from Marcus’s hold. “Just out of curiosity,
how long have the two of you been together?”
Marcus seemed even more puzzled, and Paulie felt a pang of
remorse. He squashed it viciously when Sebastian answered, “One
hundred years, give or take.”
“Then, what do you need me for?” Paulie shot back. “You’ve
been just fine without me until now.”
He expected them to deny it, to argue with him. Hell, he wanted
them to. But neither of the men did. They shared a look Paulie
couldn’t quite understand, and then Marcus got up. “That’s right,” he
said. “We have. But so were Trent and Valerius before meeting your
father.”
“It’s not the same,” Paulie answered. “They were single. They
didn’t know each other.”
“Why does it matter?” Sebastian asked. “Why does it bother
you?”
His black eyes speared Paulie, and he forgot what he was going to
say. He didn’t think he could deal with such an earth-shattering
realization. He’d never asked for this. Hell, he’d never even had the
Three Mates, One Destiny
39
time to experiment with people his age and race before he’d been
thrust into this odd, supernatural world.
Not that he regretted it. Of course he didn’t. He’d always led a
successful existence from a professional point of view, and he’d had
plenty of opportunities to explore his sexuality. The thought of doing
it with Sebastian and Marcus made him lose track of his thoughts.
Paulie had to shift on the couch to cover his crotch and his now-
straining erection. He caught the sight of an echoing passion in
Sebastian and Marcus’s eyes, but the men didn’t do anything about it.
Paulie took a deep breath and struggled to focus. Lust wasn’t very
conducive to finding a solution for this predicament. As much as he
might’ve wanted to touch them, the circumstances made them off-
limits. After all, how did one go about starting a relationship from
scratch, all the while knowing the person in question would remain by
one’s side, no matter what? It seemed so humbling. Nothing he ever
did would matter because, in the end, destiny would have its way.
How did others deal with three-way bonds, when Paulie could
barely wrap his mind around the concept? In seven years, he’d seen
the affection between Trent, Valerius, and his father, and still he
didn’t manage to understand it.
Paulie tried to think about the situation logically. He was acting
like a petulant child, and he knew it. “I’m sorry,” he told Sebastian. “I
just have to think about this. It’s very unexpected, and I’m not sure I
can grasp how it works.”
“It works however we—that is you, me, and Bastian—want it to,”
Marcus replied gently. “There are no rules. We make them, according
to what we’re comfortable with.”
Paulie felt a little better at that, but apprehension lingered within
him. Wasn’t mating like a compulsion? Would Sebastian and Marcus
be forced to bond with him even if they clearly shared something
beautiful together? And what about him? Where did he stand in all
this?
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Scarlet Hyacinth
“Maybe we could spend some time together?” he suggested. That
way, he’d get to know these two men and figure out how he really
felt. His entire being begged to be by their side, but for all he knew, it
could just be lust. There was plenty of that going on. Another time, he
might have gone for it, just to experience the pleasure he knew he’d
feel if he accepted them. But matings were a serious business. They
meant a lifelong commitment, and as much as it pained him to admit
it, he doubted Sebastian and Marcus. He doubted himself, and his
knowledge of this. He didn’t want to become an intruder in an already
established relationship. It might lead the two men to one day resent
him, and that would be worse than staying away. They’d have to take
it slow to make sure this could work out.
To his relief, the two spirit wolves smiled and nodded. “I couldn’t
agree more,” Marcus said. “I’d love to get to know you better.”
“Me, too,” Sebastian offered simply.
Paulie began to feel a bit better at their agreement. Even so, he
knew he could use a few moments alone to think about things.
Besides, he still needed to check on the ferals. Work didn’t wait for
his personal dilemmas to be solved.
“Okay then,” he answered. “See you in a bit? I still have some
work to do.”
“Sure, Paulie.” Marcus smiled kindly. “Take your time. We’ll be
in the main house.”
They said their good-byes, and before they left, the two men
pressed chaste pecks on Paulie’s cheeks. In spite of the total
innocence of the two kisses, Paulie’s face burned as he watched them
go.
He shook himself and focused on what he needed to do. An
elevator took him to the underground level. On the way, a number of
soldiers checked his security pass—something Paulie now accepted
with ease. This area of the clinic looked like something out of a high-
security prison. Not a single thing had been neglected. The doctors
Three Mates, One Destiny
41
who came and went were supervised at all times, not to mention the
imprisoned ferals.
It was a very difficult life for the prisoners, and something Paulie
would have liked to change. At the same time, his honest desire to
help seemed to hit a brick wall in front of the outright refusal to
cooperate of the men he wanted to heal. It saddened and frustrated
Paulie that he couldn’t find a middle ground.
It occurred to him Sebastian and Marcus had been instrumental in
the capture of these men. In fact, if Paulie remembered correctly,
Marcus suffered a serious injury that almost killed him during the
same battle.
The thought sobered him and made him remember these were,
after all, dangerous men. Perhaps they’d committed those misdeeds
while in a state of insanity, but their current state didn’t show a real
desire to be healed. Paulie understood the reason behind this. While
under the serum’s effect, the ferals remembered and processed
everything they’d done, and couldn’t deal with it. Essentially, this
brought them to a stalemate.
Paulie took the examination checklist from the main offices and
advanced toward the so-called cell block. The patients received
comfortable sleeping quarters and were given good nourishment and
clean clothing. At the same time, every object in the large rooms
showed a design created to prevent any chance of escape. Several
considerations had been taken into account when furnishing the cells
in order to avoid any unpleasant consequences, like the prisoner
hurting himself. The only thing that could harm them in the area was
the silver on the bars, and the guards always stayed around to prevent
the prisoners from even getting close.
When he reached the cells, Paulie immediately noticed the
strained silence. No one was moving, not a single prisoner saying or
doing anything. The guard ahead shook his head. “We’ve had no
trouble, Doctor Blunt.”
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Scarlet Hyacinth
Paulie offered the man a small smile. It still made him feel a bit
awkward that these age-old warriors would treat him with such
respect. “Doctor Blunt is my dad. I told you to call me Paul.”
“Yes, Doctor Blunt,” the soldier replied without missing a beat.
Deciding to choose his battles, Paulie focused on the patients.
“Anything else of note?”
“Patient Number Three seemed restless, nothing out of the
ordinary, but still…”
Paulie made a mental note to pay close attention to the third
patient. “Thank you. Follow me. I’ll check on them now.”
They swept through the cells, with Paulie analyzing the prisoners
and several guards watching his back. At last, they reached Patient
Number Three. Like the others, he didn’t move when they opened the
barred door, nor did he move when Paulie stepped closer.
Paulie expected this final visit to go as smoothly as the others. He
couldn’t have been more mistaken.
The moment Paulie touched his patient, the feral snarled and
grabbed his arm. The soldiers shot forward, releasing Paulie from the
prisoner’s grip. The feral shifted into his wolf form, growling at them.
Several of the spirit wolves began to do so as well, obviously
intending to attack the prisoner. More guards were approaching, the
commotion drawing everyone in the direction of the third cell.
The prisoner must have realized he didn’t have much time at his
disposal. What little reason he had left made him back away slowly.
Paulie couldn’t have said how the next thing happened. It all went on
so fast, and at the same time, as if in slow motion. One moment, he
was trying to soothe the out-of-control feral, the next, he watched the
prisoner jump with all his might against the hard walls, effectively
mashing his head into the rocks. It all lasted maybe two seconds,
during which the feral had the time to hit the wall a couple of times.
Brains flew all over the place, splattering onto Paulie’s face and
clothes. Before the group of soldiers could do anything, the wolf lay
dead, his skull shattered by the strength of the impact.
Three Mates, One Destiny
43
Everything stilled. For a few moments, Paulie couldn’t even
breathe. Like an automaton, he reached for his face and wiped the
blood from his cheek.
He didn’t know how he managed not to break right there and then.
He simply went into doctor mode and wondered what the fuck had
gone wrong. How could they mess up so completely? They’d kept the
ferals bound in the beginning, but it proved to be counterproductive
for their psyches, so they’d taken a chance and allowed them the
limited freedom of using the entire cell. It looked like they’d made a
serious mistake.
“Get my father,” he said when he thought he could speak without
bursting into tears. “And bind the other two. We don’t want the same
thing to happen.”
His orders were immediately obeyed. Paulie’s heart hurt at the
sight of the wolf, but he knew he couldn’t give up. He needed to take
a sample from the body and find out what led the feral to commit such
an act. Had something in particular been the catalyst or simply an
accumulated sense of despair? They needed to find out, to prevent any
further deaths.
He remembered his dad’s words about keeping professionalism at
all times. “One day, you’ll lose a patient, Paulie,” Drew had once
said. “It’s unavoidable. But when that day comes, you have to find the
strength to continue because of all the other people who need you.”
And so, Paulie proceeded to take a small sample from the wolf’s
body. In the back of his mind, he sensed a warmth closing in,
something that prevented him from losing it.
He heard their dim voices crying out to him just as he finished his
gruesome task. “Paulie!” Sebastian said. “Paulie!”
They must’ve been stopped from entering the underground level
of the clinic, but somehow bypassed the guards shortly after. They
came closer, and Paulie found himself swept into a comforting
embrace. Sebastian pulled him close, while Marcus caressed his hair.
“Are you all right, gorgeous?” Sebastian whispered.
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Scarlet Hyacinth
Paulie nodded and bit his lip hard. He didn’t think he could
explain. If he started speaking, he would burst into tears. He just knew
it.
His father’s strong voice sounded behind him. “What happened
here?” Drew asked.
“One of the ferals snapped, Doctor Blunt,” a guard replied. “We
couldn’t prevent him from killing himself.”
“I see,” Drew said. “Did you bind the others down?”
“Yes, Doctor,” the same soldier answered.
Paulie registered all this as if through a dream. He felt his father
kneel by his side. “Paulie, can you hear me?” Drew inquired.
“Sure,” Paulie somehow managed to reply. “Why wouldn’t I?”
His father didn’t answer. However, Valerius who must have come
with Drew, said, “Sebastian, Marcus, take Paulie to his room. We’ll
talk to you later.”
Paulie couldn’t be bothered to protest, not even when Sebastian
took him in his arms, carrying him like he would a woman or a child.
If Drew had any protests over this decision, he didn’t say it. Instead,
Paulie heard him begin to give orders to deal with the situation left
behind by the feral’s death.
At one point, Sebastian asked him the direction of his room, but
Paulie couldn’t focus enough to figure it out. His mind wondered to
what he could have done differently, how he could have prevented
this from happening. He berated himself for his incompetence, for his
stupidity. If Drew had gone to check on the ferals instead of him, this
never would have happened.
Through the haze of his mind, Paulie took in the moment they
reached an unfamiliar room. Sebastian first took him to a bathroom,
where he removed the bloody clothing off Paulie. After washing him
up, the two men wiped him dry and wrapped him in a thick robe.
Afterwards, Sebastian placed him on a large queen-size bed. The
sheets smelled like Paulie’s two mates—comforting, warm. Paulie
Three Mates, One Destiny
45
couldn’t come up with any better idea than to just close his eyes and
fall asleep here, in Sebastian and Marcus’s room.
The two men lay down by his side, sandwiching him between
their hard, muscled bodies. It was quite ironic something that should
have been the fulfillment of a sexual fantasy ended up just a source of
comfort, but to Paulie, it meant more than any sensual exploration he
might have desired. “You can cry, gorgeous,” Marcus whispered in
his ear. “You don’t have to be ashamed of your pain.”
And Paulie did cry. He sobbed his heart out, for the dead prisoner,
for himself and his father, for each and every person they hadn’t been
able to help, for Ross who might one day end up with his brains
splattered on the walls. All the while, the two hunters held him,
soothing him with soft, loving murmurs. Through all the pain, Paulie
found a certainty. For whatever reason, Sebastian and Marcus did
want him. Perhaps he couldn’t understand it yet, but he’d do his best
to accomplish it.
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Scarlet Hyacinth
Chapter Three
A knock sounded at the door of the room Marcus and Sebastian
shared. Marcus gently broke away from his mate, paying close
attention so that he would not wake Paulie. The young human had
finally gone to sleep, after exhausting himself crying. Marcus would
have done anything to turn back time and keep Paulie from seeing the
horrible death of the feral. At this point, the only thing he and
Sebastian could do was to support Paulie and comfort him.
He’d have ignored anyone who dared to disturb them, but his
senses revealed the identity of their visitor. Marcus slipped through
the room, cracked the door open, and stepped into the hallway. Doctor
Andrew Blunt stood in front of him, as usual flanked by one of his
mates—in this case, Trent.
“Is my son here?” the doctor asked, frowning.
Andrew spoke calmly, even if Marcus knew he must be feeling
quite worried. “He is here. He’s sleeping.” After a short pause, he
decided to point out the elephant in the room. He and Sebastian had
intended to talk to Andrew anyway, just not in these circumstances.
“He’s our mate.”
“Valerius and Trent told me,” Andrew answered. “I can’t say I
don’t approve, but I’m not very happy about it either. He doesn’t have
a lot of experience with relationships. I tore him out of normal life by
bringing him here.”
This time, Andrew no longer disguised his emotions, and Marcus
could tell the real concern and remorse the doctor felt because of
Paulie. “He’ll only be more vulnerable after this unfortunate fiasco
with the feral.”
Three Mates, One Destiny
47
“Valerius and I believe your presence might help,” Trent said.
“But please take into account what we mentioned.”
“Of course,” Marcus answered. “You don’t even have to say it.”
Andrew smiled tightly. “I appreciate it. Get him to rest as much as
you can. He works far too much.”
With that final piece of advice, the doctor and Trent said their
good-byes and took off. Marcus breathed a sigh of relief. This
conversation had gone much better than he’d expected. As he entered
the room again, he met Sebastian’s gaze. “I suppose that went much
better than it did with your parents,” the other man said.
“It could hardly go worse,” Marcus whispered back, his tone
measured so as not to wake Paulie up. The attempt at humor failed for
both of them. The situation didn’t warrant it.
Marcus joined his two mates on the bed once again. He didn’t
think he’d get any sleep, but their proximity would suffice.
* * * *
Paulie awoke with a choked cry. He couldn’t remember exactly
what he’d dreamt, but he knew it involved lots of blood and gore. To
his surprise, he found himself wrapped in a strong embrace.
The memory flashed back through his mind. He recalled going to
check in on the feral, then having the man kill himself in front of him.
He remembered the two hunters carrying him away and bringing him
here, to their room. He’d cried in front of them. Worse, he’d
abandoned his duty as a doctor.
“Shhh,” Marcus whispered in his ear. “Calm down. It’s all right.
You’re safe.”
Paulie shuddered, the other man’s voice scrambling his thoughts.
He shook himself and tried to break free. “I appreciate the help, but I
have to get back.”
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Scarlet Hyacinth
Warm lips brushed against his cheek, Sebastian’s breath mingling
with his. “No, you don’t, gorgeous,” Sebastian whispered. “You need
to rest some more.”
“I’m fine,” Paulie protested weakly, doing his best to avoid the
other man’s gaze.
“Are you sure? Do you think you’re over it?” Marcus sounded
skeptical. “Don’t force yourself. In the end, you won’t be able to help
if you’re not feeling yourself.”
Paulie begrudgingly agreed with Marcus. Still, he couldn’t just
stay here and laze around while others needed him.
As if guessing his thoughts, Sebastian forced their eyes to meet.
“Sometimes, everyone needs a break,” he murmured. “That’s what
we’re here for, to support you. So relax.”
Paulie couldn’t hold on to his desire to return to work. He was
only human, and a healthy young man. Being squeezed between two
hunks represented a dream come true for his libido. Perhaps taking a
moment wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all.
Once he took the decision, casting away his misgivings turned out
to be quite easy. As if of their own accord, his hands traveled over
Sebastian’s chest, the feel of the hard muscles under his fingertips
arousing the most basic instincts within him. His cock, already half-
hard simply from the two hunters’ proximity, went rigid in a mere
instant. The scent of his two mates enveloped him, and Paulie
couldn’t remember why he’d even hesitated. He was so close to them
he could feel a hard dick next to the crease off his ass, and another
nudging his thigh.
Rubbing his ass against Marcus, he reached between him and
Sebastian, intending to touch his mate’s cock. Sebastian stopped him.
“Don’t,” Sebastian said huskily. “You’re not ready.”
Paulie would have protested, except he remembered his own
reaction earlier, and that brought different, more gruesome memories
back. “No,” Marcus whispered. “Don’t think. Just let us take care of
you.”
Three Mates, One Destiny
49
They removed the robe off his body, leaving him naked and
exposed on the bed. It was the first time he’d ever been naked in front
of anyone, but beyond the physical nudity, Paulie felt bared—
emotionally. It seemed as if the two men could read his every thought.
In a strange way, it both embarrassed and relieved him.
Sebastian pressed his lips to his, and the moment their lips came
into contact, shocks went through Paulie’s body, almost like he’d
touched an outlet with a wet hand, but somehow still incredibly
pleasant. The flicks of energy made every inch of skin beg for his
mates’ touch. He forced his mind to focus just on the here and now
and with each second that passed, he found it got easier and easier.
Sebastian’s tongue licked across the seam of his lips and Paulie gladly
granted entrance. He didn’t know much about kisses—he’d only
kissed a handful of people in his life—but Sebastian’s blew his mind.
His mate’s tongue massaged Paulie’s, ravaging his mouth, taking no
prisoners.
All the while, Marcus swept his hands over Paulie’s body,
reaching in front of him to tweak his nipples. Paulie moaned into
Sebastian’s mouth at the touch. He wanted more, skin on skin,
without the barrier his mates’ clothes presented.
But the two spirit wolves seemed determined to drive him crazy.
When Sebastian moved away, they shifted him so that he lay on his
back on the bed. It was Marcus’s turn to kiss him. Unlike Sebastian,
Marcus coaxed gently, the lip-lock a sensual seduction, rather than a
raw, carnal conquest. He wrapped his arms around Marcus’s neck and
surrendered to the delicious exploration.
For a few moments, Paulie lost track of Sebastian. He only
realized where the other man had gone when wet heat surrounded his
shaft. Sebastian took him with no problem whatsoever, sucking him
in greedy motions. He bobbed his head up and down Paulie’s shaft,
and to his embarrassment, Paulie felt his orgasm approach. He’d
never experienced such a thing in his life and as much as he wanted to
prolong the moment, he simply couldn’t hold on.
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Scarlet Hyacinth
As the kiss between him and Marcus broke, Paulie let out a
choked sound. Just when he thought he would come, Sebastian
grabbed the base of his dick, effectively stopping his orgasm.
Marcus’s tongue went to play with the lobe of his ear, while
Sebastian’s mouth continued to torture him. Over and over, their
touches drove him wild, Marcus’s clever hands arousing every nerve
in his body and Sebastian’s suction short-circuiting his every brain
cell.
At last, Sebastian released his tight hold on Paulie’s balls.
“Come,” Marcus whispered in his ear.
And Paulie did come, harder than he ever had in his life. His
climax exploded out of him in a rush of ecstasy that left him limp and
boneless. He didn’t know how long he floated in the cloud of
pleasure, but when he recovered, he realized he hadn’t done anything
to bring pleasure to his mates.
“What about you?” he managed to ask.
Sebastian smiled at him. “There’s plenty of time for that.”
Marcus pressed a kiss to his temple. “Now go to sleep, gorgeous.
You’re safe.”
Paulie couldn’t bring himself to say anything else. He relaxed, and
this time, when he fell asleep, no nightmares came to him.
* * * *
A while later, Sebastian stole out of the bedroom, snatching his
cell phone as he did so. He knew what he felt, but not how to act. It
had been so much easier with Marcus. The two of them grew up
together and the only difficulties with their mating appeared because
of Marcus’s parents. Not so, now. Paulie’s dad seemed to agree, albeit
half-heartedly, but Paulie himself was very young and confused.
Well, twenty-two was not all that young in human years, but still, the
difference between the human’s age and Sebastian and Marcus’s
boggled the mind. As such, Sebastian needed a piece of advice.
Three Mates, One Destiny
51
He speed dialed his father, who answered on the second ring.
“Hello, son,” Roland greeted him. “Is something the matter?”
Even if he loved his family very much, Sebastian kept his calls to
the bare minimum. He’d just visited them, so Roland must be very
surprised. “Hello, Father. No, nothing’s wrong. I just… I found my
mate.”
A long pause followed. “A second mate, other than Marcus,”
Roland said.
Sebastian nodded, even if his father couldn’t see him. “He is
human. His name is Paul Blunt. You met his father, Andrew, at the
Magistrate’s party.”
“The doctor? Well, you certainly chose an interesting family to
mate into.” Roland chuckled, and then his voice turned kind. “I’m
happy for you. Cherish him like you do with Marcus.”
“It’s just a bit hard. Paulie doesn’t understand it completely. I
think he feels like the third wheel. I’m not sure what to do.”
“Just give him time. He’ll come around.” Roland sighed and his
voice turned sorrowful. “I never told you this, Sebastian, but your
mother was my mate. Unfortunately, she died before I could figure
out a solution for us to be together.”
Sebastian’s breath caught. He’d never expected his father to say
such a thing. “Does Alice know?”
“Of course,” Roland replied. “Just like you have two mates, so did
I, and Alice should’ve created a bond with your mother as well. But
we have hope still. After all, Caesar D’Averam did come back from
beyond, didn’t he?”
Indeed, he had. Sebastian suspected other spirit wolves must’ve
reincarnated as well, not just Caesar, but only The Magistrate figured
it out, seeing the two separate lives together. In general, reincarnated
souls registered some trouble in remembering their past lives,
although they could do so with some help. Truth be told, the whole
thing brought Sebastian hope that he might one day get to meet his
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Scarlet Hyacinth
mother. She might be human, but her bond with Roland would help
her find her way back to them. Apparently, Roland agreed.
“But now, there is a chance, Sebastian. If what The Magistrate
says is correct, the three of you can be together. Go for it. Just tread
gently.”
Sebastian thanked his father and sent his regards to Alice and
Peter. His stepbrother might not like him much, but they shared the
same blood. Besides, in spite of the rivalry between them, they
needed to be civil to each other, for the sake of their parents.
Sebastian cut the connection and returned to the room and their
bed. For a while, he watched his two mates sleep, smiling to himself
when he realized Marcus was merely pretending. He mused over his
father’s words, all the while caressing Paulie’s hair. Eventually, the
low, relaxing sound of his mates’ breaths lulled him into sleep as
well.
Three Mates, One Destiny
53
Chapter Four
Paulie woke up still cuddled in Sebastian and Marcus’s embrace.
He stole a look outside and noticed the sun just peeking over the
clouds. His face flushed when he realized he must have spent the
entire night with the two men.
He shook his head at his own weakness and inability to decide.
Just yesterday, he’d told himself he would not jump into anything. He
wanted to see if they truly matched as a couple—God, did three
people even make a couple?—and if he didn’t disturb the balance
between Sebastian and Marcus. True enough, they’d comforted him in
his time of need. He unwillingly shuddered as images of the day
before flashed through his mind. God, how could he have allowed that
to happen?
The two spirit wolves seemed to sense his turmoil as they stirred
from their slumber. “Paulie?” Sebastian asked. “Is everything all
right?”
Paulie took a deep breath, focusing to calm down. “Everything is
fine. I just need to go to my room for a bit to…” He scrambled for
some explanation, for some reason reluctant to tell them the truth. “To
clean up,” he finished lamely.
He could feel their eyes on him and knew they didn’t believe him.
“Okay, babe,” Marcus said quietly. “Would you like us to take you
there so that you don’t run into anyone on the way?”
For the first time, Paulie turned to look at the two men and offered
them a weak smile. “I’d like that.”
As promised, Marcus and Sebastian wrapped him back in a thick
robe and sped him to his room. Paulie waved them away and
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Scarlet Hyacinth
promised to meet up with them later. As they left, he closed the door
to his room and collapsed against the floor.
Paulie didn’t want to run away. He didn’t want to hide, but just
leaning on others wouldn’t help either. God, he felt so very torn up
inside, so confused and frightened. He recalled their touches the night
before. It had been amazing, but at the same time, focused all on him.
What did that mean? He really might spoil Sebastian and Marcus’s
relationship. No, he refused to do it. He already cared about them, and
getting in the way of their love for each other was folly.
The robe he wore smelled like Sebastian engulfing him in his
mate’s scent and providing undesired comfort. Paulie tore it off. He
couldn’t do this, not now. How long would it take for another patient
to kill himself because of Paulie’s inability to compose himself?
Paulie couldn’t afford to have a mental breakdown—more than he
already did. His dad was right. His patients needed him. Marcus and
Sebastian didn’t. Therefore, his love life would have to wait.
Paulie hastened to the bathroom and turned on the shower. He
rushed to wash every inch of his body, but the ghost of his mates’
touches still lingered, chastising him for his choice. “You’re still
running away, Paulie,” a voice inside him said. “You’re running
away from them.”
Pushing the voice aside, Paulie finished his preparations and
dressed in one of his doctor’s outfits. He would not let this thing
defeat him. With his mind still wrapped around what happened
“downstairs,” he could not even think of romance.
Finally done, Paulie left his room and headed toward the lab. It
was early, so his dad hadn’t gotten there yet. The guards greeted him
with slight apprehension, but Paulie somehow found the strength to
give them all moderately reassuring replies. He’d thought he’d
managed to put up quite a good show, at least until his father showed
up.
“Paulie? What’s going on? The guards told me you were here and
acting strangely.”
Three Mates, One Destiny
55
Paulie blinked at his father, all the while mentally cursing spirit
wolf abilities. “Nothing’s going on,” he replied. “I came to work.”
His dad shook his head. “No. Absolutely not. You’re going back
to bed, and that’s final.”
Paulie gaped. His father seemed to be getting more and more
overbearing by the second. Did Sebastian and Marcus’s make it so?
By now, Drew surely knew about it. Either way, his dad had no right
to give him orders like this. “Dad, you’re overreacting!” he shot back.
“Stop it and let me speak for a minute.”
His dad took a deep breath and nodded. “I’m listening.”
“Look, Dad, you can’t protect me forever. I appreciate your
concern, but I’ll never get over it if I cower in my room.”
“What about your mates? What do they think? Did you even tell
them you’ll be here?”
Paulie shrugged, affecting a nonchalance he did not feel. “They’ll
find out soon enough.”
His Dad’s expression softened. “Okay, kiddo. I can understand
how you feel. There’s no rush. Mating is a very important thing, and
you have to be sure you’re ready for it.”
Paulie sighed. “Right now, I’m not.”
His dad squeezed his shoulder and offered him a comforting
smile. “Give it time. Okay, let’s get some work done.”
* * * *
Outside the door of the lab, Marcus listened to the conversation
between father and son. Sebastian was by his side, having also come
to find Paulie. Marcus knew they shouldn’t be eavesdropping, and
he’d never intended to, but the subject matter had drawn his attention,
and he’d been unable to control his urge.
Marcus shared a look with Sebastian. They’d known Paulie felt
reticent to bond with them, but they’d underestimated the problem.
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Marcus wasn’t even sure if what they’d done the night before didn’t
complicate things further.
Marcus sighed to himself and gestured for Sebastian to follow him
out of the clinic. For the moment, they needed to give Paulie space.
As they left their mate to his work, Sebastian spoke at last. “Do
you have any ideas?”
“Not one,” Marcus replied. He truly was stumped.
Sebastian gave him a glum look. “All we can do then is wait, and
be there for him, even if he doesn’t want us to see his pain.”
* * * *
And wait they did. They waited that entire day, hoping Paulie
would come to them. When the young human didn’t, they hoped to
see him at dinner, but both Paulie and Andrew skipped it, claiming
they were still working. It might have been true, but it made Sebastian
very frustrated.
Waiting wasn’t good enough. At this rate, their mating would
never be completed. Sebastian understood patience, as well as the
strong points of “baby steps,” but he also knew some things could not
be left alone to solve themselves.
Therefore, the next morning, before Paulie could run off to his
lab, Marcus and Sebastian gave him a surprise visit, intercepting him
when Paulie left his room. It was a testament to the barriers Paulie
intended to keep between them that the young human didn’t even
sense them coming.
“Hi,” Sebastian said.
“Hello, Paulie,” Marcus greeted him in turn.
Paulie stared at them with wide eyes. “Uh, hi. What are you guys
doing here?”
“We came to talk,” Sebastian replied. “A moment of your time?”
Paulie looked away from them. “I have work to do,” he grumbled.
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57
Sebastian frowned at his mate. “What happened to I’m willing to
try? You don’t seem so willing now. In fact, you’re doing your best to
avoid us.”
“I’m not avoiding you,” Paulie protested. “I just want to help my
patients.” He seemed frustrated. “Why can’t you understand that?”
“We understand it fine, Paulie,” Marcus answered, “but you must
also understand that if you refuse to get to know us, this will never
work. We want to help, to be by your side, but you simply don’t want
to let us in.”
Paulie threw his hands up in apparent exasperation. “So what do
you expect me to do? Swoon into your arms while there are people
dying?”
The hostility in Paulie’s tone drove all the wind out of Sebastian’s
sails. “Look, Paulie. We don’t want to force you. We truly can
understand your dedication for your work.”
Even to his own ears, he sounded disheartened. Thankfully,
Marcus intervened. “Tell you what. Let’s start slow. Go on. Go to the
lab, but first take our phone numbers.”
Paulie looked as puzzled as Sebastian felt, but obeyed. They
exchanged cell phone numbers, and then Marcus explained,
“Whenever you feel like talking, even to just to say hi, we’re a call
away.” He smiled gently. “Sometimes, it’s easier to speak to someone
who’s not there with you.”
Paulie seemed to like the idea, and Sebastian mentally thanked
The Spirit Mother for giving him Marcus. “All right,” Paulie said.
“I’ll do that.”
He began to walk away, while Sebastian and Marcus remained in
front of his door. All of a sudden, he turned and retraced his steps. He
pressed brief, chaste pecks on their cheeks and whispered, “I’m sorry.
I’ll try harder. I promise.”
With that, he was gone. For a few moments, Sebastian stared at
the spot where Paulie had been last, idly considering the option of
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following after his mate and fucking all hesitation out of him. It
wouldn’t work, of course, but his cock would very much enjoy it.
Marcus chuckled at him. “I know. It’s not easy.”
Sebastian arched his brow at his mate. “What can we do? He’s
just…”
“I could help you with that.” Marcus gave him a sly look and
licked his lips. The sight of Marcus’s tongue peeking out of his mouth
made Sebastian even harder than before.
Marcus took his silence as agreement. He pushed Sebastian
against the wall and knelt at his feet. In a few rushed instants, he
unzipped Sebastian’s trousers and released Sebastian’s dick from its
confines.
As Marcus’s fist engulfed Sebastian’s cock, Paulie’s image
popped in his head, both arousing and sobering. He realized he
wanted to share this moment with Paulie, and having their
relationship strained didn’t represent a very good turn-on.
Marcus seemed to share his opinion. “Another time, maybe,” he
said as he got up.
“After we solve things with Paulie,” Sebastian added. Perhaps he
was being overly confident, but he couldn’t stand the thought of not
having both his mates by his side.
His wolf mate nodded. “At any rate, I believe it went quite well,
didn’t it?”
“I think so, too. Now, we just have to wait and see.”
* * * *
A short while after his departure from his room, Paulie felt it, a
shocking arousal that seemed altogether out of place taking into
account the circumstances. He’d actually begun to ruminate over
Sebastian and Marcus’s words, and now, he realized his mates must
be having sex—without him. It strangely disheartened him. God, he
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59
was so confused. He wanted them to be close to each other, right?
Then, how could he be jealous? It made no sense.
In an odd development, the sensations stopped just instants after
they began. Paulie was confused and made a mental note to ask his
mates later. For now, he needed to get some work done—specifically,
to check on his recovering patient.
Out of the three remaining ferals in the clinic, Ross was the most
puzzling one. He seemed to have taken the serum better than the
others, although his state remained delicate and he needed supervision
around the clock.
For this purpose, Paulie and his dad enlisted several of the other
medics’ aid. With so much to do, it was difficult for any of them to
stand around and essentially play nurse, but it couldn’t be helped, not
if they wanted to keep their remaining patients alive. Perhaps when
Ross showed improvement, this state of things would change.
Paulie reached Ross’s room, cracked the door open, and slipped
inside. The medic who’d been watching over the young man met him
halfway. “How is he doing?” Paulie asked. “Has he said anything?”
The spirit wolf shook his head. “Nothing that makes sense. He
hasn’t woken up so far.”
As if to contradict the medic’s words, a moan sounded from the
bed, interrupting the conversation. Both Paulie and his spirit wolf
counterpart rushed to the bed. They checked Ross’s vital signs and
made sure the young man wasn’t seizing again. Instead, Ross cracked
his eyes open.
“What? Where am I?”
“You’re in a hospital,” Paulie replied.
Ross tried to reach for his forehead, but couldn’t. His limbs had
been bound to the bed to prevent him from hurting himself if he
seized again. His eyes widened in panic. “What’s going on?” he
croaked out. “Who are you people?”
“Doctors,” the spirit wolf medic replied. “How do you feel?”
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Ross ignored the question, straining against the bindings. “Please,
just let me go.”
Paulie shared a look with the spirit wolf. They couldn’t dare to
risk it just yet. “Once you’re better, we’ll do that. Your illness made
your limbs move, and we’re afraid you’ll accidentally be injured.”
Ross looked skeptical, but finally nodded. “Okay. All right. If
you’re going to release me afterward.”
He didn’t seem happy about it, but he was struggling to accept the
explanation, something Paulie found a bit odd. If he were in Ross’s
place, he’d have cursed and spat at his captors until they let him go.
Musing over this dilemma, he asked Ross, “Do you remember
what happened to you?”
The young man blinked in confusion. “I… I’m not sure.” He
squinted, as if thinking very hard. “I don’t remember anything,” he
finally said. “Oh, God… I just know my name, and that’s it.”
Their patient seemed to be hyperventilating now, so Paulie
decided more questions would have to wait. Gently, he wrapped Ross
in an embrace. They were most likely around the same age, and yet,
so very different. Paulie’s heart hurt for Ross. “It’s okay,” he
whispered. “We’ll help you.”
Ross didn’t answer, the tension in his body betraying his disbelief.
“Get some sleep,” Paulie said. “It will help.”
The spirit wolf doctor injected a sedative into Ross’s perfusion.
Soon, their patient fell asleep. “Go on,” the other man told Paulie.
“I’ll call you if something else happens.”
Paulie thanked his colleague and left the room, going over Ross’s
words. Could the serum cause amnesia? If so, why? He needed to
consult it with his dad.
Predictably, he found Drew in the lab. “Hi, Dad,” he said. “Guess
what? Ross woke up.”
Drew immediately looked up from the viral cultures he was
studying. “Why didn’t you call me?”
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61
Paulie rolled his eyes at his dad. “There was no time. He was
exhausted and shaken, so we sedated him. I may specialize in
animals, Dad, but you’ve taught me a lot, remember?”
His dad laughed. “You’re right. When am I going to remember
you’re not a kid? So did he say anything?”
“Not much. According to him, he doesn’t remember anything.”
Drew looked surprised. “Amnesia? Well, that’s something I didn’t
expect. We need to examine this as soon as possible.” He seemed to
be considering options. “He’ll be frail, now, but I’ll drop by briefly,
regardless, maybe take another DNA sample. Then when he wakes
up, we can have another talk.”
As his dad left, Paulie remained alone and took over the lab
operations. It was lonely work, and something he enjoyed as a rule.
Even so, Paulie found himself wishing for the presence of two certain
men. He remembered Marcus’s words and the cell phone burned in
his pocket. Just hearing their voices would be perfect.
After all, what would it hurt? It was only a tiny call. Paulie didn’t
have to say anything he didn’t want to, and he could hang up at any
moment. It would be rude, and he’d never do it, of course, but that
was beside the point.
Without another moment of hesitation, Paulie retrieved his phone
and chose Marcus’s number at random from his contact list. He dialed
and waited for his mate to reply. Marcus picked up on the second
ring. “Hi, Paulie,” he said. “What are you up to?”
“Work,” Paulie replied. “Ross woke up.”
“Great!” Marcus answered, and Paulie could hear the genuine
pleasure in his voice. “Poor kid. We couldn’t believe a feral would do
such a thing to him. Did he say anything?”
“No,” Paulie said. “It seems he can’t remember. Maybe you guys
can come visit once he’s better.” He paused, deciding to change the
topic off Ross. “What about you? What are you doing?”
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“We decided to meet up with Trent and Ash, catch up on hunter
business,” Marcus answered. His tone changed, becoming softer,
warmer. “I’m glad you decided to call.”
Paulie smiled. “So am I, Marcus. So am I.”
* * * *
That night, Paulie returned to his room feeling a bit better. He’d
actually gone to dinner and decided to get a decent night’s sleep,
unlike the day before, when he’d caught maybe three hours of
slumber—more of a dead faint of exhaustion, actually.
He still hadn’t gone downstairs, and the mere thought of it gave
him the shivers. But perhaps, if he waited a few more days, he could
handle it.
After washing up and pulling on his pajamas, Paulie slipped under
the blanket and closed his eyes. No sooner had he fallen asleep than
the nightmare started.
He was back in the cell with Patient Number Three. He stood
there watching the feral, smiling. Only this time, his patient cowered
in front of his touch. “It’s okay,” Dream-Paulie said. “We’ll help
you.”
The same words he’d told Ross—and just like that, Patient
Number Three morphed into the young feral. In fact, his form blurred
to and fro, from Ross to Number Three.
Dream-Paulie approached the feral. Moving in a flash, he grabbed
the other man and tossed his body against the wall. He did it again
and again, until his brains leaked out, and dead eyes stared at him
accusingly. “You killed me,” Patient Number Three said in Ross’s
voice. “It’s your fault.”
Paulie screamed, trying to tear himself away from the hold of the
dream. It didn’t work. The feral’s gaze kept him prisoner and
hypnotized. The other man’s hands began to move, grabbing Paulie
and threatening to crash his head against the wall.
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63
But before the feral could achieve his purpose, a powerful force
stopped it. He was torn out of his nightmare and back into reality.
“Hush,” Sebastian whispered. “You’re all right.”
Paulie burst into tears. He’d thought he could be strong and push
the pain away. He’d thought he could be a doctor and help people.
He’d failed. Oh, God, he’d failed so abysmally.
Sebastian placed him on the bed and just like two nights back,
Paulie ended up sandwiched between his mates. “Now you listen to
me,” Sebastian said. “We understand how you feel. I had nightmares
for weeks after my first kill, and so did Marcus. But that’s why we’re
here, to help each other out. Okay?”
Paulie nodded. He could not think of any better idea than
borrowing his mates’ strength. “Okay.”
“We’ll just hold you,” Marcus murmured. “How does that
sound?”
Paulie didn’t reply. He just closed his eyes, knowing his mates
would understand his agreement. When he fell asleep again, no
nightmares reemerged.
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Chapter Five
After the second night together, Paulie warmed up to them. His
smiles came rarely, something unusual according to what Marcus
found out from others. The experience with the dead feral hurt Paulie
a lot, but Marcus hoped that, in time, his mate would get over the
trauma. They didn’t have sex, nor did they venture beyond what they
did the day of the feral’s death, but the few stolen kisses Sebastian
and Marcus managed made all the difference in the world.
It also seemed to help that Ross recovered from his injury. Ross
represented a mystery for the few people at the base who’d met him.
Sometimes, he seemed shy, almost frail, like a porcelain doll about to
crack. Other times, he turned suspicious and cold toward them.
Doctor Blunt was studying the hypothesis that the serum might have
affected Ross’s psyche after all. Paulie seemed encouraged when
Ross didn’t show the same signs of suicidal mania the ferals did, but
his state remained delicate. Marcus himself felt responsible for the
young man they’d brought here. Thankfully, the Harts extended an
invitation for Marcus and Sebastian to stay at the compound for as
long as they needed.
A week after their arrival at the compound, Paulie led him and
Sebastian to see Ross. This would be the first time they’d seen the
boy since coming here. So far, Andrew and Paulie had been reluctant
to allow visitors, but Ross showed improvement now, and they hoped
to gradually introduce the young man to other people. Marcus and
Sebastian were perfect for the job, since, after all, they’d saved him
from the feral.
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65
Ross had been moved into a room at the same level with the
examination area. Since the suicide of the feral, the guard increased
even more, and one couldn’t go twenty paces without running into
soldiers armed to the teeth. From what he’d heard, Ross was being
watched with particular diligence. For this reason, it surprised Marcus
greatly to see the entire corridor that led to Ross’s room empty of
guards.
Paulie immediately panicked and ran forward. Sebastian hastened
after him. For about half a second, Marcus considered going to get
reinforcements, but decided against it. His instincts told him it would
be better to deal with this themselves. He followed after his mates and
found them standing in the open doorway of the room. Paulie’s face
was very red, and he looked everywhere else but at the two men
standing half naked in front of them. Marcus just smiled in
amusement. Now, the absence of the guards made perfect sense.
Clay Hart, the youngest son of their hosts, glowered at them.
“What? Can’t you tell you’re intruding on a private moment?”
Ross hid behind Clay, apparently in shy mode. At last, Paulie
found his voice. “Clay, it’s nice to see you. I thought you were
visiting the Magistrate.”
Clay didn’t look at all pleased by the comment. “I came back a
little while ago.”
Marcus arched a brow. He’d heard rumors over a supposed liaison
between Clay and the Magistrate’s right hand man, Klaus. Judging by
Clay’s ill mood, he’d guess that relationship was going nowhere, fast.
Ross’s appearance would cause even more difficulties, but it didn’t
concern Marcus, or his mates.
Obviously of the same mind, Paulie entered the room, now in full
doctor mode. “Welcome back, then. I’m afraid Ross is still in a
delicate condition, so I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
Clay’s expression turned alarmed. “Delicate condition? What? I
didn’t hear anything about that.”
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“Did you even take the time to ask him his name?” Sebastian
grumbled.
As amusing as the entire situation seemed, Sebastian had a point.
Ross couldn’t be trusted to make any important decisions. True
enough, a mating could heal his emotional instability, but at the same
time, it could create further complications. Clay needed to tread
lightly here, even more than Marcus and Sebastian.
“You must know he was bitten by a feral,” Paulie answered. The
blood drained out of Clay’s face. Apparently, he hadn’t known.
Marcus guessed Clay might have been overwhelmed by the moment
and missed the scent of the virus on Ross. Clay was, after all, very
young by spirit wolf standards, just barely initiated in their pack life
some ten years back. It wouldn’t be surprising for him to miss
something like this.
Clay backed off from Ross, having probably grasped the
seriousness of the situation. Ross reached out for him. “No!” he said.
“Don’t go. These people are crazy. They’re holding me captive, doing
strange things to me. You have to help me. Please, I’ll do anything
you want.”
Clay looked like he’d been slapped. Paulie’s authoritative voice
broke the awkward silence. “Don’t say such things, Ross. I’ve told
you many times we just want to help. Clay, step outside with me,
please.”
Clay obeyed silently, and Sebastian followed him out, while
Marcus remained to watch over Ross. “I remember you,” Ross said.
“You brought me here.” He scowled, and then the despair that
previously graced his features vanished, turning into an angry sneer.
“What? Didn’t I suck your cock well enough? Is that why you
brought me here, to be pumped full of shit?”
Marcus didn’t answer. For whatever reason, the memories seemed
to have mixed up in Ross’s head, and he now confused Marcus with
whoever hurt him. Even though he knew himself to be innocent, the
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67
weight of Ross’s hatred almost brought him to his knees, and he felt
more than relieved when the door opened once again.
In spite of his ugly words earlier, Ross didn’t protest being
examined by Paulie or receiving another shot from the serum. Marcus
thanked the Spirit Mother for that much. Whether Ross knew it or not,
saving him had become a priority for Paulie. Of course, Clay’s
appearance represented an added factor that might make things
difficult for Paulie.
With everything going on, Marcus couldn’t help a small tinge of
selfishness. He wanted to reach out and take his mate into his arms,
just like Clay did with Ross. It just seemed like lately, they were
worrying so much about others and not enough about themselves. He
didn’t know if Paulie deliberately chose to do this, or if his genuine
altruism made him focus on other things except their mating. What he
did know was that he needed more. For crying out loud, Marcus and
Sebastian chose not to fuck either. It was quite strenuous after a
century of a rich and fulfilling sex life.
Once Paulie finished with his check, they left the room. The
guards had returned, probably ordered back to their post by Sebastian.
Now, Marcus spotted his mate talking in a low voice with Clay. Even
from this distance, his ears caught threads of the conversation. “A
double bite could heal Ross,” Sebastian said. “Think about it.”
Clay didn’t answer, but an expression of decision graced his
strong, elegant features. Marcus wondered what he intended to do.
Could Klaus Fleischer be the third mate of this union? No,
impossible. Had it been so, he and Clay would have hooked up ages
ago, back when Clay first appeared in front of the Magistrate. In fact,
many years Marcus thought Klaus to be Wolfram’s mate. Even if his
suspicion proved to be incorrect, the fact remained Klaus and Clay
just recently attempted a liaison, something that seemed to have
failed.
Whatever the case, Marcus hoped not to have to get involved in it.
He had enough on his hands with his own mating, and as much as
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he’d have liked to help, Ross and Clay would probably not appreciate
it.
At last, the conversation ended, and after a final, longing look
toward Ross’s room, Clay left the clinic. Sebastian joined Marcus and
Paulie. “This is certainly unexpected. I’m not sure what to believe.”
Paulie sighed. “Neither am I. For the moment, I gave Ross a
sedative. I’ll have to talk to Dad and the Harts to figure out what to do
next.”
Of course. Now that Ross was Clay’s mate, he’d become an
unofficial member of the Hart family. Marcus felt an incoming
headache.
“Let’s just get the conversation with my dad over with, and then
we’ll see what our next step should be,” Paulie finished.
He called another spirit wolf doctor to watch over Ross, and then
they headed toward the main area of the clinic. Just as they reached
the main level, Marcus noticed a strange agitation in the people
around him. Andrew Blunt was nowhere to be seen, and a flurry of
activity engulfed all the doctors of the compound.
They stopped one of the medics, but the man didn’t know to tell
them what was going on. He just followed orders, which in this case
meant preparing a heavy dispatch of field doctors ready to leave as
soon as possible. This automatically translated into an attack. The
ferals must have struck somewhere nearby, and the Harts had been
called upon to help.
Much to Marcus’s dismay, Paulie immediately became implicated
in the process, readying himself to depart as well. Marcus knew
Paulie was an excellent medic, but being a field doctor also required
military training and a tough physique. Paulie was much too young
for something like that. In such situations, the ferals could be
expected to launch a second attack, and the staff needed to be able to
fend for themselves.
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69
At last, Andrew Blunt showed up. “You’re not going,” he said
without preamble. He wore special equipment, and he obviously
intended to join the expedition.
“Why?” Paulie answered.
“It’s too dangerous. You can get hurt.”
“So can you,” Paulie shot back. “Why the double standard?”
Andrew frowned at his son. “Don’t pout. It doesn’t suit you. And I
won’t begin to list the reasons of the difference. “
When Paulie continued to glare, Andrew sighed and elaborated.
“Look, Paulie, I’ve been in situations like this before. I’ve seen
injured on-site and treated sick people in underdeveloped countries in
my youth. Not to mention that my mating gives me a resilience you
don’t have. I don’t doubt your abilities, but you’ve only worked in a
lab so far. You’re not ready.”
“How am I ever going to be ready if you just cling to the idea of
forever keeping me locked up in this compound?”
Andrew looked torn. “Please understand, Paulie. I can’t risk your
life in this. Tell you what, after this expedition, we can start some
heavy military exercise.” Andrew shared a look with Marcus. The
man seemed to say, “Mate him. Keep him safe.”
With obvious reluctance, Paulie agreed. “Okay,” he said. “I’ll just
help you get ready then. But I’ll hold you to your promise.”
Andrew nodded and smiled at his son. “Thanks.”
The commotion continued for a while longer, and during this
time, Marcus watched in silence as the doctors—including Andrew
and Paulie—wrapped up the preparations. At one point, Sebastian
left, returning shortly after, all geared up for departure.
“I’ll go with them,” he whispered. “You stay with Paulie.”
Marcus arched a brow. It was just like Sebastian to be protective
and practical at the same time. Marcus wanted to kick Sebastian at the
realization that the other man used Paulie to keep him from service.
He’d have protested, but the situation didn’t allow him to. He trusted
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his mate to get by. Perhaps, there wouldn’t even be a battle and the
ferals would not attack a second time.
He sensed the moment Paulie realized Sebastian would leave
without either of them. “You can’t be serious,” Paulie cried. “If it’s so
dangerous, how can you go alone?”
“I’m not going alone.” Sebastian smiled gently. “There will be
dozens of soldiers there. You need Marcus more.”
“I’m not a child,” Paulie fumed. Marcus could understand his
mate, especially taking into account the previous exchange with
Andrew. “Besides,” Paulie continued to rant, “isn’t that the entire
point of me staying behind? I’m supposedly safe here, aren’t I?”
That was, the point, yes, and truth be told, Marcus had scanned
the compound inside and out in the past days. Not even a fly could get
in without being detected, something for which he felt very thankful.
At the same time, he couldn’t help but be torn. Choosing between two
mates was not something he’d ever expected to be forced into.
Marcus recalled the way the ferals had been more organized and
took his decision. Paulie would be safe here. Sebastian needed him.
Reason told him Sebastian would be going into a dangerous situation,
and therefore needed him much more. He looked between his two
mates and sighed. “Fine, but you stay in your room and don’t go
anywhere without a guard next to you.”
Paulie offered him a slight smile. “I promise. You stick together
and watch each other’s backs.”
It was a useless piece of advice, since Sebastian and Marcus had
been fighting together for a century now. They’d only ever suffered a
defeat with the dangerous feral Joseph, but Marcus didn’t blame
himself or his mate for that one. Joseph had even given their leader a
run for his money.
Sebastian looked a bit doubtful, but eventually agreed. A half an
hour later, Marcus and Sebastian kissed their mate good-bye and
boarded one of the prepared helicopters. As the aircraft took off, they
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71
watched Paulie get smaller and smaller, until finally he disappeared
altogether. In front of them, Andrew Blunt looked troubled.
“It’s all right, babe,” Trent said. “He’ll be fine.”
“I know. I just hate leaving him.”
So did Marcus. He couldn’t wait for this mission to be over. Once
they came back, they’d get Paulie to see how they felt for him, no
matter what.
* * * *
It was strangely disconcerting to be without his family and mates.
His father and adoptive dads had gone on the expedition to check out
the aftermath of the attack, taking Sebastian and Marcus with them.
The Harts stayed behind, as well as Ashton, Dan, and Linden. Still,
Paulie felt lonely and quite bereft. He’d have gone in search of
Linden, since he got along great with the other man, but he couldn’t
intrude in Linden’s time with his mates. He also enjoyed spending
time with Amy, but today, the idea didn’t make him too enthusiastic.
Instead, he decided to get some more work done. Many of the
doctors had left, so the laboratory section of the clinic remained quite
barren. Only the guards and Paulie remained here, with a skeleton
staff manning the main hospital, just in case something happened
while the others were away.
Deep in thought, Paulie went to the lab and buried himself in
research. At one point, he felt heavy exhaustion weigh on him, and he
considered going to get some sleep. He wouldn’t even have to leave
the lab. The offices held a comfortable couch he could use.
No! What was he thinking? How could he possibly rest when his
mates and parents were out there, facing God knew what dangers?
Paulie berated himself for his weakness and went to wash his face. He
clung to his need for his loved ones and continued with his work. On
occasion, he lost his concentration, a feeling of deep anxiety coursing
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through him. He couldn’t identify the source, so he blamed it on
paranoia and forced himself to focus.
He was busy studying one of the viral cultures when he smelled
the smoke. Immediately, alarm coursed through him. All of the
information they’d gathered on the feral virus—seven years’ worth of
research—were stored here. A fire would be disastrous. Paulie was
pretty sure his dad must’ve made off-site backups of part of it
someplace, but the latest results wouldn’t have been stored anywhere.
Even more importantly, they still had patients here. The two ferals
and Ross remained trapped in this section of the hospital.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Paulie rushed out of the lab and
into the hallway. The smell of smoke became even more pungent. It
seemed to be coming from the upper level, where the patient rooms
were located. At the same time, the corridor now appeared to be
completely deserted. It couldn’t be. The clinic had top-notch security,
including smoke alarms, cameras, and sensors, not to mention all the
guards. What in the world was going on?
He hastened toward the stairs, and at the end of the corridor,
found the alarm button. He pressed it then found the fire extinguisher.
After cracking the glass and retrieving the item, he went up to the
next level. As he progressed, the heat increased and the air became
thicker and noxious. In the main corridor at the second level, flames
licked over the walls, scorching everything in their path. The way still
seemed clear to Ross’s room. He still had time.
A shadowed figure emerged from the corridor, and to Paulie’s
surprise, he realized it was Ross. At first, glee filled him at the
knowledge his patient seemed unharmed. But then, Paulie caught
sight of Ross’s expression—or rather, the lack of it. Ross could have
very well been a robot and showed more emotion. Paulie recalled his
patient’s instability, and wondered how in the world Ross managed to
leave the room in the first place.
He didn’t have much time to contemplate this. Without a single
word, Ross charged forward. In a flash, he reached Paulie, and they
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came crashing down. The momentum of Ross’s motion sent them
rolling down the stairs, dislodging Ross’s fragile grip on Paulie.
Paulie took advantage of the moment to get up and scan the area for
anything he could use to incapacitate his crazed patient. He didn’t
want to hurt Ross, but the other man wouldn’t have the same scruples.
Paulie had been in a life-and-death situation before, but back then,
during the attack on the Hart compound, he’d always hidden behind
someone. He was never alone. In fact, for seven years, Paulie could
count the moments he went without an escort on one hand. The only
time he ever spent in private was in his room. It figured that at the
exact moment when a patient attacked him, no one would be around.
He recalled the fire extinguisher. He’d dropped it when Ross
jumped him, but it now lay just a few inches away from him. It would
certainly be heavy enough to cause a fair amount of damage.
Paulie lunged toward his final hope, and he managed to grab it
just a second before Ross grabbed him. They fought, with Paulie
using the extinguisher both as a shield and a weapon. However, Ross
seemed completely immune to pain, and it didn’t help that Paulie was
loath to strike too hard. Even if Ross had become, for all accounts,
feral, Paulie couldn’t be sure to what extent the other man might be
able to heal injuries. The doctor in him protested, but he found
strength in his desire to survive, and find all the other patients and
retrieve the priceless research on the virus.
Still, in spite of his efforts, Ross unsurprisingly won. Paulie lost
his grip on the fire extinguisher, and it went rolling away, leaving him
defenseless against Ross’s attack. Ross’s hands went around his
throat, squeezing the air out of his lungs, choking him in an iron-like
vise. Paulie’s vision began to grow dim. He uselessly clawed at
Ross’s arms, but his strength waned with each passing second. Just
when he thought he’d surely be killed, a part of his mind registered
the sound of a gunshot. It seemed distant, but it couldn’t have been so.
Ross’s hold on him loosened, and Paulie was invaded by a sense of
encouragement. He began to struggle once again. At first, Ross didn’t
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let go, but then, another gunshot echoed around them, and Ross
hesitated. Paulie caught the moment and pushed away from his
attacker.
As soon as he freed himself, he took greedy gulps of air, coughing
and struggling to breathe. It didn’t help the smoke traveled down to
the lower level by now, and at this point, he inhaled the fumes. Oddly,
his arms and wrists hurt, too. Perhaps he’d hit them in the struggle
with Ross.
A comforting, familiar voice reached out to him. “Come on,
Paulie,” Linden said. “We have to get out of here.”
Paulie managed to focus his mind a bit. He registered Ash and
Dan picking up an injured and bloody Ross. At the same time, he took
in the increasingly dangerous fire. “The patients,” he croaked out.
“The research.”
“We sent people to get the ferals out,” Linden said. “But the
offices have already gone up in flames. We can still get to the lab, if
you—”
An explosion shook the building, interrupting Linden’s words.
With a cry, Paulie realized it came from the direction of the
laboratory. “It’s too late,” Ash shouted over the noise. He picked
Paulie up and draped him over his shoulder. “Go, go.”
They rushed outside, and before Paulie knew it, they’d reached
safety and fresh air, a good distance away from the burning building.
He breathed in deeply, having a distant thought that one never
appreciated oxygen until he was deprived of it.
Mixed feelings swamped Paulie, gratitude that he’d even been
rescued, and heartbreak for all the information they’d lost. He
couldn’t pinpoint the exact cause of his blurry vision. It could’ve been
an effect of the smoke hurting his eyes, or simply the pain of the
wasted effort.
Paulie shook himself and focused on practical considerations.
They could rebuild the clinic and redo the data files. As far as he
could tell, there were no casualties, but he needed to be sure.
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“What’s going on? Why weren’t the guards at the post? Is
everyone okay?”
“I’m not sure what happened,” Dan said. “We were reading over
some reports, when all of the sudden we had this overwhelming urge
to…uhh…”
Ash cleared his throat, and Paulie grasped the meaning of Dan’s
words. It wasn’t unusual for wolf mates to want constant sexual
contact, but at the same time, their race was trained in discipline and
absolute control. They wouldn’t go off to fuck in such circumstances.
“Anyway,” Ash continued, “Linden sensed something was wrong and
dragged us off to get you.”
“It seemed everyone ended up in similar states, distracted in one
way or another,” Dan added. “Thankfully, no one received any
significant injuries. Some fell asleep, others started fighting or were in
our situation. Another remembered disabling the alarms. In the end,
we managed to break them out of the trance.”
Paulie’s eyes widened. “But if the alarms were off, we could very
well be under attack now and not know it.”
Ashton nodded glumly. “We’re scouting the entire perimeter
now.”
Paulie stared at the burning clinic in the distance. Ash had taken
them away from the area, most likely to keep them safe from any
potential blast or viral spread. Some spirit wolves were fighting to
control the fire, but with all the volatile chemicals and substances in
there, it would be difficult. “I think whoever engineered this got what
he wanted,” he said. The serum had been destroyed, along with
everything else. It wouldn’t hurt to check the area, of course, but in
his heart, Paulie knew the attack here was over.
“He’s right,” Linden said, confirming his suspicion. “I’ve been
having these ominous premonitions for the past few days. They’re
still there, but they’re focused on something else.” Linden paused, as
if struggling for words. “I couldn’t figure it out before, but I think
Ross was sent here by someone.”
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Paulie’s eyes widened. He’d have thought Ross’s mental
instability caused the attack inside the clinic, but he trusted Linden.
This must be all a part of a greater plan. Fucking hell. Were Sebastian
and Marcus heading into a trap? His mates, his family, they were all
in danger. No wonder he’d felt anxious back in the lab.
Paulie cursed and knelt next to Ross. The man’s injury didn’t
seem very severe. He’d been shot in the shoulder and the leg. A brief
look told Paulie the bullets had gone clean through. They would heal
in no time. Of course, humanitarian sentiments abandoned Paulie.
Ross had betrayed them all. He’d been sent here for the specific
purpose of destroying them from within. Somehow, Sebastian and
Marcus unknowingly brought a treacherous viper here.
“Look at me,” he told Ross, gripping the other man’s arm. “Look
at me. What’s going to happen with the others? Who sent you?”
Ross’s expression looked as cold and hard as an iceberg. He said
one word, “Blood.”
A storm of red engulfed Paulie. He let go of Ross’s arm and
staggered back, his entire vision filled with memories of the horrible
moment of the feral’s suicide. He could feel the blood splattering on
his face, taste it in his mouth, smell it all around him. It almost
seemed more intense than he remembered it.
A heavy slap brought him back to reality. “Snap out of it,” Linden
said. “It’s not real.”
Ross chuckled. “Of course it’s real. Things are always as real as
you believe them to be. Isn’t that right, Linden?”
Their gazes fixed together, as if fighting a silent battle. Linden
looked away first, panting hard. “He did all this,” he said. “I’m not
sure who sent him, but he did it.”
Ross got up, now looking completely calm. Dan and Ash stepped
forward, only to freeze in their tracks. In that moment, Paulie began to
understand. Ross’s power to manipulate had dissipated through the
compound, and it distributed to each person without grabbing too
strong a hold. But now that Ross didn’t bother to control everyone, he
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77
could focus his power on each individual. It made sense. Otherwise,
Ross would have never bothered to attack him physically in the clinic,
and he’d have never gotten caught by Dan and Ash in the first place.
They needed more people. Linden could apparently fight him on a
mental level, but not without losing. Paulie called out, drawing the
attention of several patrolling guards. In less than a minute, they were
surrounded. Ross didn’t have time to make his escape.
“There’s nowhere you can go,” Paulie said. “Just surrender now.”
“Don’t you people ever get tired of spouting clichés?” Ross gave
Paulie a look of sheer disdain. “You’re safe now,” he said in a
mocking tone. “You’re going to be fine. We just want to help. There’s
nowhere you can go.”
Yes, Paulie said all that during the past week or so, but he’d meant
everything in those words. Clichés were common for a reason—they
applied to many situations in real life. Clearly, Ross didn’t understand
that. Paulie wondered if anything they’d seen of Ross held any truth.
Could he ever rely on Ross to tell them anything about his mission
and boss?
They only had one choice, to take Ross down and imprison him.
They couldn’t chance any further delays. The Harts needed to contact
the group sent to investigate the supposed attack, if they hadn’t done
so already. This way, they might be able to prevent a catastrophe. But
Ross’s power flowed freely over them now. They were all in a circle,
close to him, and all reluctant to take charge.
An unexpected arrival changed the course of events. The crowd of
guards parted to let Clay pass. “Ross, why are you doing this? You’re
my mate. We are your family. Why are you hurting us?”
Ross laughed. “Do you still believe that? Surely you realize it was
all a lie. You wanted a mate of your own so badly you fell for it. Poor
little Clay.”
Amy’s slender figured appeared behind her brother. “Clay, what’s
going on?” Her eyes widened when she saw Ross. “Oh my God…”
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Ross seemed to find this funny. “Hello, little girl. It’s nice to see
you again. Now run along and play with your foolish brother. Leave
this up to the grown-ups.”
Paulie could see the heartbreak in Clay’s eyes and the young
wolf’s sorrow broke Ash out of his trance. He shifted to his animal
form and lunged at Ross. The other man’s entire power shifted and
focused on Ash, but in his anger, Ash seemed untouchable. Ash didn’t
take kindly to seeing his little brother being toyed with and his sister
mocked.
And yet, in spite of Ross’s words and actions, Clay shouted for his
brother to stop. It had the opposite effect. All the guards followed
after Ash, immobilizing Ross. Clay looked like he wanted to jump in
Ross’s defense, but Amy held him back, shaking her head.
Before Ross’s figure disappeared in the scuffle, Paulie thought he
glimpsed a small flash of remorse in his eyes, but it was gone before
he knew it.
Finally, the agitation cleared and Ash returned, carrying Ross’s
limp body. “I’m going to store this piece of shit somewhere he can’t
hurt anyone,” he said.
“Ash, wait,” Clay said weakly.
Ash ignored him, and stalked away, followed by a respectable
number of guards. Clay and Amy rushed after them. “Where’s this
attack supposed to be?”
“A few miles away from Portland,” Dan answered. He checked
his watch and turned a little pale. “They should have reported in by
now.”
Paulie nodded. With Ross unwilling to cooperate, they’d have to
find information in a different way. No matter. They’d follow the
trails of their loved ones. Surely, they’d manage to come up with
something.
Together with Linden and Dan, they set out to organize a search
party. Technically speaking, it was still too soon for them to worry
about the troops they’d sent to Portland, but with what had happened
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79
here, they needed to take into account every option, including the
worst ones.
Ash returned, sans Ross on his back. “Where did you leave him?”
Paulie asked. He didn’t have to elaborate on who he was referring to.
“I put him in one of the cells,” Ash answered. “I have the only
key, so he can’t try anything funny while we’re not here.”
“But what if something happens?” Linden protested. “What if
there’s another fire?”
“I guess we’ll just have to take that chance,” Ash replied.
Paulie did feel a bit apprehensive, but between focusing on Ross
and saving his family, he chose his family. Just as he thought this, a
voice that sounded suspiciously like Ross emerged in his mind. “The
Grand Canyon. Hurry. You don’t have much time.”
At first, Paulie thought he was just hearing things. Then, he
noticed the expression on Linden’s face. “Did you hear it, too?” he
asked.
Linden nodded silently, while Dan gave them both a quizzical
look. “Hear what?”
“Ross,” Linden replied. “He said we should go to the Grand
Canyon.”
Ash scoffed. “As if we can trust scum like that.”
“It’s a lead, at least,” Linden shot back. “We can’t afford to
disregard it.”
Paulie shared a look with his friend. He had a feeling Ross was
telling them the truth, for whatever obscure reason.
Ash glanced toward Paulie. “What do you think?”
Paulie would have been surprised Ash included him in this
decision-making process, except he understood the reasoning behind
it. Essentially, Paulie had the most to lose in this. While everyone
here would be heartbroken would something happen to the squad,
Paulie would be left without his fathers and his mates. But no, it
wouldn’t come to it. He’d find his loved ones in time.
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Taking a deep breath, he took his decision. “I say we go to the
Grand Canyon.”
For a few moments, Ash didn’t speak. He stole a look at the
house, his expression thoughtful. When he turned toward Paulie
again, he said, “Very well. Let’s hope you’re right.”
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81
Chapter Six
Sebastian cracked his eyes open to utter and complete darkness.
Even with his advanced sight, he couldn’t see a damn thing. It wasn’t
the blackness of a cell, but one comparable to a tomb. Was he dead?
He didn’t think so. His body hurt too much.
He remembered boarding the helicopter that would take him to the
site of the attack. He’d been talking about Paulie with Marcus. Then,
he’d heard something, and after that, everything turned black.
Marcus! Where was Marcus?
Panicking, Sebastian tried to move and realized he couldn’t.
Unsurprisingly, he seemed tied down, bound by heavy cuffs. Judging
by the way his wrists burned, the shackles must’ve been made out of
silver. Someone had taken him prisoner, but who?
Sebastian took a deep breath and focused on calming down. He
needed to keep a cool head. He could still sense his connection with
Marcus, and this meant Marcus remained alive. Marcus must be
unconscious because his spirit seemed a bit dim, not in pain, but still
distant.
Sebastian could work with that, as long as he managed to get out
of here. He needed a plan. But with this terrible darkness, he couldn’t
even tell if his prison had any weaknesses at all.
He strained against the cuffs, uselessly trying to break them. The
silver hurt his wrists, and still, he could not free himself. He didn’t
know how long he continued to do so, but at one point, he collapsed
against the wall, exhausted.
In that moment, Sebastian felt it, the terror, the anger, the shock,
and misery. It didn’t come from him, or Marcus. The feelings
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swamping him originated from Paulie. For a few minutes, Sebastian
dared to hope Paulie merely figured out the investigating crew had
been attacked, but the dim spark vanished when he experienced
physical pain through their connection. He sensed the moment
Marcus regained consciousness, his alarm flooding their connection.
Because they’d claimed each other, Sebastian could feel Marcus
stronger than he did Paulie. Even so, the bond with the young human
already seemed quite strong. Sebastian began to have trouble
breathing, and he realized someone was trying to choke the life out of
Paulie.
Savage panic coursed through him, and he pulled at the chains
holding him with a strength he didn’t know he had. His arms hurt like
a son of a bitch, and still the manacles held. But the wall behind them
yielded, and Sebastian found himself falling forward, his wrists still
encased in heavy silver, while rock flew all around him.
At the same time, he began to breathe a bit easier. At first, he felt
confused, but then a sense of relief filled him. Somehow, Sebastian
knew Paulie had narrowly escaped being killed by his attacker.
Still, that didn’t mean they were safe. Whoever engineered this—
because it was clearly a well-crafted plan—could very well attack
Paulie again. Not to mention Sebastian himself, his mate, and all the
others who’d been in the brigade.
Ignoring the burn of the silver, Sebastian made his way to the
cracked wall and stole a look through. He noticed a very distant light,
barely there, but casting away some of the acute darkness regardless.
He didn’t have to think too much about it. Putting the force of his fear
and desire to be with his loved ones, Sebastian began to work at the
wall, struggling to make a hole big enough for him to slip through.
The process sent rumbling noises through the silent blackness, and
as much as Sebastian tried to keep the sound as low as possible, it
didn’t surprise him when he heard footsteps approach. Sebastian
didn’t even try to hide. He’d already figured out he had nowhere to
go, and his efforts would just be useless, especially with the heavy
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chains dragging him down. At least this way, he’d find out who’d
imprisoned him. He already suspected the identity of his captor. Who
else could it be but Joseph? The ferals had never been organized
before Joseph showed up, and no one he knew of could have an
interest in keeping them prisoner.
The seconds seemed to turn into hours as he waited, but it
couldn’t have been long afterward that two silhouettes shrouded the
dim light. “Well, well,” a male voice said. “Looks like someone’s
awoken in a bad mood.”
Sebastian frowned. He didn’t recognize the voice, but judging by
the tone, he’d have guessed this person must be a high-ranking officer
in this group. More importantly, his visitors didn’t smell like feral.
They were pure, one hundred percent human. How could this be?
“Even in this gloom, I can see you’re confused.” The man laughed
at his own joke. His tone changed as he addressed his companion.
“Bring us some light.”
The second human somehow came up with a huge lantern. A few
moments later, pale, yellow light sent eerie rays through the darkness.
Sebastian could at last spot the faces of his jailors.
There was nothing particularly wicked about them. Had Sebastian
walked by them on the street, he’d have disregarded them as just
average folk. “Come closer,” the first man said. He was a stocky
individual dressed in an expensive suit. With his gray hair and
fashionable glasses, he looked more like an elderly business man than
an evil genius bent on destroying lives and nations.
The second man reminded Sebastian of a fitness program host. He
had those perfect good looks and amused demeanor, as if they weren’t
in a dank, horrible prison, but on a Hollywood set. Sebastian
immediately labeled him as hired muscle.
Sebastian couldn’t see much of them, but at this point he felt more
confused than ever. If they’d wanted to kill him, they’d have done so
already. In fact, they could get rid of him by abandoning him here.
Even if he did manage to find a way out, he suspected this place was
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underground, and everything would be specifically engineered to keep
him from escaping.
For this reason, he complied with the request and took a step
forward. “Ah, there’s a good lad,” the old man said. “Now, I’d be
much obliged if you’ll be just as obedient and remain in your
appointed cell.”
Sebastian couldn’t help but laugh. “You have got to be kidding
me. Is this some sort of joke? What in the world do you even want
with us?”
The man smiled enigmatically. “You don’t need to know.”
The grating sound of rock moving drew Sebastian’s attention. He
glanced behind him and realized a hidden door lay somewhere
beyond the rock. Of course, he couldn’t take advantage of this
discovery. Guards flooded his little cell.
Weakened by the silver and his efforts to escape the manacles,
Sebastian was no match for the overwhelming number. They didn’t
even fight fairly. Instead, they shot odd lassoes at him, trapping him
in thick nets of silver thread.
Sebastian tried to struggle, but he couldn’t do anything about it.
The guards dragged him off, tied up and helpless, while the two
enigmatic men followed. Convinced of their superiority of strength,
Sebastian temporarily yielded and waited to see where they’d take
him.
They half-dragged, half-carried him up some stairs, until at last
Sebastian glimpsed light. His eyes hurt after being so long in the
darkness, but he got used to it with a fair amount of ease. At the same
time, he sensed Marcus’s presence growing closer. The humans
must’ve brought Marcus to wherever they were taking Sebastian.
Finally, raised voices reached his hearing. “You’re mad. I’m not
doing it,” a man said. Sebastian recognized him as Andrew Blunt.
“Oh, I think you will,” a woman answered. “After all, you don’t
want us to harm your precious mates.”
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Sebastian didn’t know who she was, so he put her in the
uncategorized human section, along with the older man.
The guards carrying him at last reached their destination, the area
the voices came from. Judging by all the equipment, it seemed to be a
lab of sorts. They dumped Sebastian on the floor. In an instant,
Sebastian’s eyes fixed on Marcus, similarly bound at the other side of
the room. Valerius and Trent were also there, unconscious, but
breathing.
Andrew Blunt seemed unharmed and was the only one standing,
facing an elderly human woman. “You wouldn’t dare,” he snarled at
her.
She arched a brow at him. “Why not? Isn’t it only fair?”
“Besides,” the older man said from behind Sebastian, “didn’t you
take someone even more valuable from us?”
It seemed obvious Andrew knew these people. When he looked
closer, Sebastian thought he detected something familiar about them,
but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
The answer came from the next exchange. “Do you think Paula
would appreciate this?” Andrew asked. “What do you even expect to
gain?”
“Our daughter is dead,” the man replied blandly. “But we still
have our nephew. You’re going to give Paulie back, or else.”
Sebastian had the feeling he’d ended up in a movie where he’d
missed the first half hour and he was just now beginning to
understand. Through some bizarre twist of fate, his jailors were sort of
related to him. They must be Paulie’s grandparents, on his mother’s
side.
Paulie had told them a bit about his past. His mother died giving
him birth, and he’d never gotten along with his grandparents, Judith
and Chad. He’d left them behind when Andrew introduced him to the
world of the spirit wolves. Apparently, the two somehow found out
about it and intended to exact revenge.
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“Paulie is not an object, Chad,” Andrew shot back. “He goes
where he wants to, and he stays with me because he so desires.”
Chad’s face twisted in a grimace that belied his harmless
appearance. He punched Andrew, and the doctor recoiled at the force
of the blow. Instantly, Trent and Valerius awoke. “What the fuck?”
Trent groaned. “Drew?”
“I’m fine,” Drew answered. “Don’t worry about me.”
Valerius’s deep eyes scanned the room, and recognition dawned
on his face. “You have got to be kidding me.”
Sebastian would have laughed, since he’d said the exact same
thing moments earlier. Still, he couldn’t understand. The Judiciaries
took great precautions to ensure the existence of their nation remained
a secret. No human would have been able to do such a thing without
being aided. There was more here than two insane grandparents
wanting their grandson back.
His suspicion proved to be correct. “Now, do what we told you to
and take the sample from those two,” the woman said.
She pointed at him and Marcus. So their role here would be that of
test subject. Just fucking great. Paulie’s grandparents might not be
evil geniuses, but they certainly took on the role of mad scientist.
There wasn’t much they could do about it, not with everyone
imprisoned under the silver nettings and weakened by the attack. Not
even Andrew—the only one who kept his freedom of movement—
would be able to get away with all the soldiers swamping the lab.
“Leave Marcus alone,” he gritted out. “He’s injured. He can’t help
you. Just take it from me.”
Marcus began to protest. “Bastian…”
The woman’s laughter interrupted him. “I think not. We have a
different quarrel with you. Intending to corrupt our nephew with your
perversion? I don’t think so.”
Well, fuck. Andrew must’ve mentioned Paulie being a mate for
Sebastian and Marcus. Apparently, the doctor wasn’t as smart as
everyone credited him to be.
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But Andrew looked as surprised and dismayed as Sebastian felt.
Someone else must’ve told the men. One of the guards? He doubted
it. No one on the compound knew for a fact the three of them were
bonded. The soldiers who guarded the clinic might have figured it out
from Sebastian and Marcus’s behavior, but none of them had come on
this expedition. Still, what other option could there be?
Shaking himself, Sebastian focused on the matter at hand. So, he
wouldn’t manage to convince the humans to back off. It wouldn’t hurt
to find out what they wanted to do in the first place.
As if guessing Sebastian’s thoughts, Andrew began to speak once
again, this time in a calmer tone, appealing to the rational part in the
humans. “That may well be, Judith, but the fact remains your plain is
just plain foolhardy. You cannot control a mix between human and
spirit wolf DNA. It’s impossible.”
“Don’t you always say nothing is impossible?” Chad answered.
“How many times did you claim that while you struggled to create
your famous serum?”
A niggling suspicion irked on Sebastian’s brain. He now doubted
the guards told the humans anything. In fact, he suspected something
much more sinister was going on. After all, no guard would have
made such a comment about Andrew’s habits of conversation.
For this reason, Sebastian wasn’t surprised when he felt another
spirit wolf’s presence, something far too familiar for his comfort. He
didn’t know why he hadn’t felt it before, perhaps because of his
exhaustion and futile anger. He could definitely do so now, and he
growled low as he identified it.
Marcus gave him a glum look, and Sebastian knew his mate also
made the connection. Sebastian desperately wished for it to be a
mistake, but it was too much to ask for. His half brother, Peter,
stepped into the room, smiling when his gaze fell on Sebastian’s
trapped form.
“Hello there, Sebastian,” he said cheerfully. “Fancy seeing you
here.”
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“You bastard,” Sebastian growled. “How can you do this to our
family? How can you betray them like this?”
Peter grimaced at him, as if he’d seen something that disgusted
him. “Au contraire, brother,” he spat. “You’re the bastard. Literally.
And it’s high time I got rid of you, and your meddling mate.”
“Do you hear yourself?” Sebastian shot back. “You’re not in
freaking Scooby Doo. Someone will figure you out, even if you do
get rid of us.”
Peter shrugged. “Whatever. Believe what you like if it makes you
feel better. It doesn’t matter.” He looked toward Andrew. “Come on,
Doctor Blunt. Get a move on. I just might wipe your memory and
allow you to live.”
* * * *
Paulie fidgeted, the increasing feeling of discomfort and anger
beginning to get to him. The decision had been taken, but by the time
they reached Arizona, he was essentially jumping out of his skin.
They were supposed to meet reinforcements coming from the
Magistrate’s Den here. Everything seemed one hundred percent
organized, but each passing second scraped over Paulie’s brain like
nails on a blackboard.
They landed a few miles away from the canyon so as not to alert
whoever might be here. Paulie’s heart thundered in fear Ross might
have deceived them. Not that they had much choice now. After
careful consideration, they’d decided to fly to the Grand Canyon with
a slight detour. They’d found the debris of the helicopters sent to
investigate, but nothing else, neither bodies nor clues. The attack in
itself seemed bogus, which meant there must be a traitor in the ranks
of the spirit wolves. He only hoped the compound wouldn’t be raided
while they were away. True enough, they’d left a considerable force
behind, relying on the people the Magistrate would send, but nothing
was certain at this point.
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89
Night had already fallen when they headed toward Eagle Point, a
gorgeous rock formation considered sacred by the some of the
natives, where they’d meet up with the other team. At all times, they
did their best to remain stealthy. It was very difficult, with the wide
open space all around them. Paulie placed his trust in the darkness
shrouding them, although he knew spirit wolves could see a great
distance away. He prayed to God and to the Spirit Mother his mates
revered to protect his loved ones. He didn’t know what he’d do if he
lost either of them.
In front of him, Ashton seemed as tense as a bowstring, advancing
slowly so as not to disturb a single rock. Paulie had some trouble
keeping up, but he forced himself to focus and copy Ash’s motions.
Finally, they reached the meeting spot. Paulie breathed a sigh of
relief when he realized their reinforcements already waited for them
there. The Magistrate himself had come. Did he feel guilty for not
seeing this coming? Perhaps. Paulie would never fully understand
Wolfram.
“There are no ferals here,” Wolfram said. “We sent scouts ahead.
Mostly, we’re up against humans.”
“Humans?” Paulie repeated in a whisper. The word sounded
strange in his mouth, since, after all, he belonged to the same race.
“But how?”
“We have a few enemies who’ve joined forces,” a brunet sitting
by Wolfram explained. “We’d have never thought to even look for
them here if your intruder hadn’t confessed. But never mind that now.
We should go in, carefully.”
Through his night vision goggles, Paulie caught sight of Ash
nodding. “I agree. We have to take them out as quickly as possible.”
Something in the Magistrate’s voice and demeanor made Paulie
feel even more apprehensive. He wanted to ask, but the squad set into
motion, so he shut his mouth and decided to simply follow in silence.
He’d been brought along after much insistence. The last thing he
wanted was to become a burden.
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They crawled onto the rocky ground, the harshness of the terrain
making Paulie feel thankful for his protective gear. All of a sudden,
the squad came to a halt. Ash pointed ahead, and Paulie spotted a
group of armed men watching over the canyon, shielded by a rocky
outcropping.
The spirit wolves charged forward like a silent killing machine
and took the guards down. Truth be told, Paulie had no idea if the
humans even died, but he couldn’t focus on that now. He’d have to
deal with his own priorities first.
After making sure the coast was clear, the group proceeded to the
next step of the mission. Strong ropes went around the rocks and
helped them descend into the deep canyon. Apparently, their people
were being held somewhere underground.
From this point, their operation became more and more difficult.
The rift seemed even more strongly guarded than the top, and the
spirit wolves had significant trouble in getting rid of the humans in
silence. After what seemed like forever, they reached a carefully
disguised cave.
With the guards incapacitated—the wolves did indeed avoid
killing the humans—they snuck inside. To Paulie’s shock, his eyes
fell on something that looked like a warehouse dug into the very heart
of the mountain. The hideout held vehicles, weaponry, and an iron
staircase revealed the existence of both a superior level, and an
underground one.
“They must be below,” Ash said.
Logic agreed with Ash’s assessment, but Paulie’s heart led him in
a different direction. He could feel the pull of his mates coming from
the second level. It was dim, since their bond remained unfinished.
For all he knew, it could be something else entirely. But Paulie
followed his instinct and replied, “No. They’re upstairs.” He hesitated
then amended, “At least Sebastian and Marcus are.” He didn’t know
about everyone else.
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91
The Magistrate nodded. “We split into two groups. Paulie, you
come with me upstairs. Ashton, you lead the others at the lower
level.”
“Yes, My Lord.”
No other words were spoken. Ash led his assigned men
underground, while Wolfram did the same, heading up the staircase.
At first, they didn’t find anything interesting, other than a couple of
guards the spirit wolves took care of with their customary ease. A few
minutes into their search, Wolfram’s steps became more certain.
“Voices up ahead,” he explained. “Hurry.”
As they approached, the concentration of guards increased. Much
to Paulie’s dismay one of them managed to sound the alarm before
being dealt with. At this point, the spirit wolves rushed forward with
no regard for stealth. By some miracle, one of them grabbed Paulie,
flashing forward with supernatural speed. The man dropped Paulie at
the entrance of a room that bore a striking resemblance to a mad
scientist lab.
The spirit wolves burst inside, and the human soldiers, now
alerted, fought back. In a strange development, a large enemy force
pooled here, so Paulie found in dismay the humans actually succeeded
in pushing the wolves back. Obviously noticing his men’s
predicament, Wolfram intervened, his power sweeping over the room,
confusing their foes.
To Paulie, time seemed to stand still and everything moved in
slow motion, like in a dream or a movie from a DVD that didn’t work
right. He didn’t know if any of the others felt it, but the spirit wolves
were clearly boosted by their leader’s assistance. Still, in spite of the
effect of Wolfram’s abilities, he saw something—or rather,
someone—that both perplexed and horrified him.
With all the people struggling against one another, Paulie hadn’t
originally spotted his loved ones. He did now. Marcus, Sebastian,
Trent and Valerius were tied up in something that looked like silver
nets. They were fighting against their bindings, but whatever held
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them must be very strong because they didn’t succeed. Paulie caught
sight of blood against Sebastian’s wrists, heavy manacles encasing the
wounded flesh. Paulie now understood the ache around his wrists—
which persisted even hours after Ross’s attack—originated from his
mates.
Marcus was facing Paulie, unlike Sebastian, and his expression
seemed a mix between relief, horror, and hope. At the same time,
Paulie saw his dad struggling to keep three people at bay and away
from the four spirit wolves. He almost looked like a lion tamer,
holding a chair which he swung left and right, trying to push his
enemies back.
Paulie didn’t know the younger of the three, but when the man in
question turned into a wolf, Paulie surmised he must be a feral or
perhaps the spirit wolf traitor who caused them so much trouble.
Under Paulie’s terrified eyes, he snapped his jaws at Drew, but
Paulie's dad managed to hold him off.
Paulie tried to force himself to move, but he was frozen. From this
angle, he was pretty much away from the battle, but he saw
everything clearly, and he acknowledged the identity of the two other
persons present with a heavy heart. An elderly woman and man were
by the wolf’s side, and the man seemed to be trying to reach for Drew
as well. One thing was certain. Paulie’s grandparents had aged
gracefully, and they didn’t seem all that different from the moment
Paulie last spoke to them, more than seven years back—neither
physically, nor in their hatred for Drew.
It was very strange to see them again. They belonged to a life he’d
left behind, an existence when he hadn’t been aware of the existence
of the supernatural, during which he ignored so many interesting, vital
things. Looking back, Paulie felt more time had passed, and a distant
thought made him realize the true extent of the change they’d agreed
to when accepting the world of the spirit wolves.
But more importantly, Paulie could not understand how Chad and
Judith even found out about this world. He knew for a fact Valerius
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93
had taken care of forging his and his dad’s death certificates. Hell,
they even had tombs in the small town they’d lived in, Tennington. So
how could his grandparents stumble onto the truth? Someone must’ve
told them, but who?
With horrified eyes, he watched his grandmother retrieve a small
pistol. Drew waved the chair at her, sending the weapon flying, but in
that brief moment, the unknown spirit wolf found an opening and
jumped on Paulie’s dad.
As they fell, Judith struggled to recover her weapon. Paulie didn’t
know what happened next. His mind went in a different space,
something that defied all fear and weakness. He only knew his family
and his mates were in danger, and he needed to do something to stop
them.
His muscles unfroze and he rushed through the crowd, ducking
and dodging the fighters. Several times, he was an inch away from
being trampled, but somehow, he managed to reach his loved ones.
He crashed straight into Judith just as she was retrieving her weapon
and pointing it at Sebastian. His momentum sent them both to the
floor. The gun went off, and Paulie panicked, thinking he’d been too
late.
He looked back at his mates and adoptive fathers. He was almost
afraid to see what had become of his dad. After all, what could he do
against a spirit wolf? Nothing.
A grunt to his left drew his attention. Paulie nervously looked in
that direction, half believing he’d see his dad’s bloody corpse.
Instead, he saw Drew push the still form of a wolf’s body off him.
Paulie took in the red on the animal’s coat and remembered the
gunshot. The bullet must have hit the floor and bounced off straight
into the wolf. Of course, they weren’t out of the woods yet. Judith got
up and smoothed the wrinkles off her impeccable skirt, as if she were
at a cocktail party, not in the middle of battle. Fuck, she’d just tried to
kill someone and looked annoyed that Paulie made her miss.
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“Now, Paulie, see what you made me do,” she said in a berating
tone, looking down at his still prone form. “You shouldn’t treat your
grandmother like that. What’s your brute of a father been teaching
you?”
She didn’t seem surprised at seeing him, and neither did Chad.
“Well, he’s here now,” the man said. “Don’t worry. You can come
live with us after all this is over.”
Paulie gaped at them. Either they weren’t serious, or they didn’t
realize their own situation. He stole a look around and saw the human
force begin to retreat. Chad and Judith couldn’t possibly be thinking
they’d win this fight.
Of course, judging by their behavior, it would be safe to say
they’d lost their ability to reason at some point during these years.
Still, it might take a while until the wolves managed to come to
their aid. When she picked up the gun, Paulie decided to go with it
and stall. “Sorry,” he gritted out as he got up. “It’s just that this whole
thing is very unexpected. Besides, even if all these people here have
their flaws, I can’t help but be fond of them.”
Judith made a sound of understanding. “Of course,” she said.
“You were always such a good child. It’s not your fault. Now come
along. We should get out of here.”
So, they did realize. As Chad smiled at him, Paulie found himself
in quite a predicament. The presence of the gun effectively tied his
hands, and he couldn’t do anything to spite them.
He nodded and did his best to smile back. “Sure.”
Chad extended his hand, gesturing him forward. Paulie obeyed,
but at the last moment, he faked tripping over his own feet. Chad let
out a low curse and knelt next to Paulie. Paulie clutched his uninjured
ankle, moaning theatrically. “I think I twisted it.”
“Never mind,” Chad said. “We’ll carry you.”
Paulie yelped when Chad lifted him and draped him over his
shoulder. What the fuck? He might be slim, but a seventy-year old
shouldn’t have the strength to lift him, let alone carry him.
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95
He heard his father call out in protest. As far as he could tell,
Andrew had been injured, but not severely. This was beginning to
turn into one of those ridiculous films that never made any sense. For
fuck’s sake, the spirit wolves were just a few feet away. Couldn’t
someone, anyone, give them a hand?
As if summoned by Paulie’s thought, Wolfram snatched him from
Chad’s grip. Before the two humans could say anything, the
Magistrate immobilized them, with two subdued blows. Even if
Wolfram obviously held his strength back, the humans fell, dazed.
The Magistrate put Paulie down and removed the net off Marcus,
throwing it around the humans. Next, he retrieved the one on
Sebastian and checked the vital signs on the unknown wolf. The
stranger must’ve been alive because Wolfram tossed the silver netting
on him. After freeing Valerius and Trent as well, Wolfram focused on
the ongoing battle.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye, so fast Paulie didn’t
even get to thank the spirit wolf leader. A small thread of amusement
went through him when he realized his own heroic endeavor must’ve
lasted a minute or so. No wonder the wolves took their time. The flow
of time seemed so much slower when you were terrified for the life of
your loved ones. Still, he wondered why Wolfram couldn’t just wipe
the floor with all these people. They were just humans, after all. They
couldn’t compare with the Magistrate’s power.
On shaky legs, Paulie went to check on his father, who was
closest to him. By the time Paulie reached him, Andrew already
struggled to his feet. He gave Paulie a tight smile. “I’m fine. Or I will
be.”
Valerius and Trent joined them, looking pale and exhausted. “His
shoulder,” Valerius explained. “He hit it when Peter jumped him.”
Paulie’s heart hurt at the knowledge of his dad’s pain, but Andrew
just grinned and nodded. “Go on. I’ll be okay.”
Sebastian and Marcus also approached, and Paulie took his dad’s
offer and allowed his three fathers a moment of privacy. He hugged
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the two hunters, paying close attention so as not to accidentally hurt
them.
A low cry and a snap made him break away from the embrace in
alarm. Andrew looked pale and sweaty, and Paulie understood one of
his adoptive dads must have set the dislocated shoulder back in place.
He winced, knowing it must’ve hurt like a son of a bitch. It would
have been better if they’d waited a bit and gotten Andrew to a medical
facility, where Paulie could give him some painkillers. But these days,
Andrew healed faster than humanly possible, so his injury might have
worsened had urgent measures not been taken.
The doctor in Paulie told him Andrew would be all right. Other
than the injuries around their wrists, Marcus and Sebastian seemed
pretty much okay, too. They’d gotten here just in time. Still, Paulie
needed to get those cuffs off. The silver could cause severe damage if
the situation wasn’t dealt with.
“We need the key,” Sebastian said, probably realizing Paulie’s
dilemma. “We tried to break them, but it’s no use.”
Paulie headed to his grandparents’ sides. He didn’t even bother to
ask. They were much too dazed and wouldn’t cooperate anyway.
He found a long silver key in his grandfather’s shirt pocket. With
a victorious “aha,” he rushed back to his mates. One turn of the key in
the manacle locks, and the heavy shackles fell. After freeing
Sebastian and Marcus, Paulie did the same with his two spirit wolf
fathers.
Just as Trent discarded his chains, Ash burst into the room,
followed by the other half of their squad. Faced with a renewed threat,
the humans stopped fighting and yielded the battle. And not a moment
too soon because at this point, Paulie felt exhausted, physically and
emotionally. He just wanted to go home and fall asleep in his mates’
arms. Better yet, he wanted to be claimed by them, so no one would
ever be able to separate them again. If he’d learned anything out of
this fiasco, it must’ve been that, indeed, people didn’t know what they
had until they lost it.
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However, even after the battle ended, there was still a lot to be
done. Wolfram gathered all the formerly imprisoned spirit wolves in a
circle, Drew and the treasonous bastard included. Paulie watched in
silence as white light began to glow from Wolfram and into the
injured soldiers. Power sizzled through the air, surrounding them with
hot energy. Paulie was hypnotized by the sight and stared at it until
his eyes hurt from the brightness. He looked away, gazing around him
through his eyelids. For a few seconds, the world seemed to turn into
something better, less glum. Paulie’s spirits lifted, and his fatigue
drained out of him.
When he cracked his eyes open, he noticed in shock the injuries
had disappeared off all the soldiers. Even Drew looked better,
although he still seemed a bit weak. Wolfram, however, didn’t fare so
well. The Magistrate tried to put on a brave front, but Paulie could see
his utter exhaustion. No wonder Wolfram hadn’t used his power in
battle. He meant to do so for healing his people.
Still, Paulie didn’t mention it, nor did he offer his help. The brunet
from before appeared at Wolfram’s side, flanking the Magistrate,
shielding him from prying eyes. Paulie surmised he must be
Wolfram’s spirit wolf mate, Dietrich. Perhaps Paulie would now get
to know the man, and their other mate, Fritz. His dad had refused to
take him to the mating ceremony, claiming it would be too strenuous
and stressful for him. Paulie understood the motivation behind it—
humans were still quite poorly seen in spirit wolf society. At the same
time, though, Paulie had decided to take charge of his life. He would
no longer allow his dad’s concern to rule him, no matter how justified
it might be.
Sebastian and Marcus made their way to Paulie once again.
“We’re arranging for a transport for you, your dad, and the other
doctors,” Marcus said. “You should go back and wait for us at the
compound.”
Paulie shook his head. “Wait? But why?”
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“There’s still a lot to do,” Sebastian replied. “The prisoners have
to be taken in for questioning. It won’t be…pleasant.”
Marcus sighed. “Remember the man…wolf who jumped your
dad?” Paulie nodded. How could he forget? “That’s Peter, Bastian’s
half brother.”
Shock coursed through Paulie. He now understood what
Wolfram’s mate meant about different enemies joining forces. He
recalled Sebastian telling him about his family, how his mother had
died upon giving him birth and he’d been raised by his dad, with a
kind step-mother and a younger step-brother. It reminded Paulie a lot
of his own experience and made him empathize with Sebastian.
However, Paulie never had a brother, and perhaps he should be happy
for it. This Peter brought a whole new meaning to the idea of sibling
rivalry.
“I’ll have to go talk to my parents,” Sebastian said. “I can’t even
imagine how they’ll take this.” He stole a look toward the now-healed
Peter. The man lay tied up in the same silver nets previously used on
Sebastian and Marcus, glaring at them. “He survived today, yes, but
he’ll receive a severe punishment for this transgression.”
Paulie struggled to offer his mate a smile. “If it helps, I’ll be by
your side when you tell them.”
Sebastian gave him an unreadable look and hugged him. “It does
help,” he whispered. “Thank you.”
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Chapter Seven
A few hours later, the transport carrying the first batch of
prisoners landed at the Magistrate’s Den. Andrew, Trent, and Valerius
chose to go to the Hart compound instead, intending to retrieve Ross.
Sebastian had been shocked to find out the young human they’d
brought in caused such mayhem at the clinic. He’d seen the sorrow in
Paulie’s eyes as he recounted the tale. Ross had destroyed the entire
research database at the compound, and broken Clay’s heart in the
process. According to Andrew, a large portion of the files were
backed up at the Den, and the rest of it could be recovered with some
work. Even so, the damage had been quite severe, and more so taking
into account the attack on the field doctor squad. Sebastian didn’t
know what would happen to Ross and Peter now. Their fates were in
the Magistrate’s hands.
At the same time, Andrew’s departure left Paulie in charge of the
unpleasant task of handling the check-up on the prisoners. Everyone
had noticed something peculiar about Paulie’s grandparents, well,
beyond the homicidal mania even. They seemed far too strong for
humans well in their eighties. While Wolfram had dealt with them
easily enough, it didn’t make the issue any less important.
Wolfram himself led Sebastian to the cells of the Magistrate’s
Den. Clean and comfortable, the imprisonment facilities were at the
same time escape-proof. The only way to break free would be ending
one’s life, and neither of the prisoners they would see today held the
courage and despair necessary for that sort of thing.
Still, Paulie shuddered, and Sebastian wished they could have
done things differently. But his mate deserved to know what would
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happen to his grandparents. No matter what, they were related by
blood, and blood bonds didn’t disappear just like that. Sebastian
understood Paulie perfectly. After all, his own brother waited in one
of these cells.
As it turned out, Wolfram forwent seeing Peter. “We will talk to
him once your parents arrive,” he explained.
Sebastian grimaced. As was necessary, he’d contacted his family.
The conversation went as well as could be imagined in the
circumstances. Roland and Alice didn’t blame Sebastian for anything.
They were due to arrive any moment now.
At last, they reached the section of the prisons holding Judith and
Chad captive. They were well guarded, but other than that, quite
comfortable. Wolfram allowed them neighboring cells, but his mercy
didn’t go beyond that. After all, the two humans did try to separate
mates and kill a good number of spirit wolves.
Sebastian and his companions did nothing to disguise their
approach, and Chad heard them coming. The human abandoned the
crossword puzzle he’d been focusing on and rushed to the bars.
“Finally! I thought you’d forgotten us here.”
Judith did the same as her husband and zeroed in straight on
Paulie. “Paulie! Tell them to let us go. This is a mistake. We didn’t
mean any harm.”
Sebastian almost snorted, but refrained from doing so. Paulie
might not be very close to his grandparents, but this situation hurt him
nonetheless.
Paulie sighed, and Sebastian wrapped an arm around his mate,
offering silent comfort. “It’s not a mistake,” Paulie said. “Dad almost
died because of you.”
Judith rolled her eyes. “Your father, right. Why do you value him
so much? I’ll never understand.”
“So what if we roughed him up a little?” Chad added. “There’s no
harm in that.”
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Paulie took a deep breath then offered his grandparents a fake
smile. “Right.”
He took a few steps forward and stood right in front of Judith and
Chad’s cells. Quickly, he snatched a bit of hair from each of his
grandparents.
“Hey!” Chad protested. “What are you doing, young man?”
“Research,” Paulie replied. He backed away from the cells. “For
the record, if you’d actually cared about me as a kid, we’d have never
left you behind.”
Something changed in Judith’s eyes. “You were the only thing we
had left of our daughter, and you chose her killer over us. How did
you think that would make us feel?”
Andrew Blunt was hardly a killer. Paula Turner had died while
giving birth to her son, something Sebastian learned from Paulie
himself. No one could be blamed for such a thing, especially not the
best friend who’d just wanted to fulfill Paula’s desire to have a child.
“There was never any choice involved,” Paulie replied. “I love
Dad. I could’ve given you the same love, if you’d just wanted it.”
Thankfully, the Magistrate intervened before things could get
even more awkward. “Paulie, if you’d let me, I need to ask your
grandparents a few questions. Go ahead and finish what you have to
do. A guard will see you out.”
Paulie offered Wolfram a grateful look. “Certainly, My Lord.” He
then turned toward Sebastian and Marcus. “Come on. Let’s go.”
One of the spirit wolf soldiers led them to the clinic of the
Magistrate’s Den. There were some raised eyebrows when Paulie
asked for private time in a lab, but the staff knew about the Blunts and
had seen Paulie with the Magistrate. They gave Paulie everything he
needed without too much fuss.
Sebastian pecked his mate on the cheek. “We’ll wait outside,
okay? Wouldn’t want to interrupt your research.”
“No, stay,” Paulie replied. “I don’t mind.”
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So, Sebastian and Marcus stayed. They kept quiet as they watched
their mate work. Sebastian found himself hypnotized simply by
Paulie’s efficient, knowledgeable motions. He focused on keeping his
arousal in check so as not to disturb Paulie, and he must have
succeeded. Paulie managed to finish his analysis with no incident.
“Well, I have to say I am extremely puzzled. The feral virus
seems to be present in their bloodstream, but it’s being activated bit
by bit. I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
“Back at the Grand Canyon, they were talking about a mix
between the two DNAs, some sort of plan,” Marcus answered.
“It must have something to do with that. I guess the Magistrate
will get to the bottom of things.”
Indeed, just instants later, Sebastian felt his leader approach.
Wolfram knocked at the door, and Paulie bid him to enter. “What did
you find?” Wolfram asked in place of a greeting.
“They’re infected, but it’s a very strange strain. It seems to take
control over the body gradually.”
Wolfram looked glum. “This confirms it then. Nicely done,
Doctor Blunt. Come. We still have a lot to do.”
* * * *
Marcus, Sebastian, Paulie, and Wolfram met up in the throne
room with Dietrich, Fritz, and Wolfram’s second in command, Klaus.
“It seems word of the attack is getting out,” Dietrich said. “We can
expect more and more people to flood the Den by tomorrow.”
Wolfram seemed thoughtful. “We can’t reveal the extent of it just
yet. It will only cause panic.”
Marcus completely agreed with Wolfram, but he didn’t know how
Wolfram would manage to keep Peter’s punishment under wraps. For
there would be a punishment, no doubt about it.
He didn’t get the chance to muse over it for much longer. A spirit
wolf guard knocked, and, at the Magistrate’s urging, entered the
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throne room. “My Lord,” he said, “the Morrigans and the Deacons are
here.”
Wolfram sat on his throne and nodded. “Let them in.”
The moment Marcus saw them enter the throne room together, he
groaned. This didn’t bode well. Bringing the two families together
was something out of a Shakespearian play. The Deacons looked
down upon Sebastian because of his human blood, and by extension,
rejected the family who loved him. Naturally, the Morrigans didn’t
have a positive reaction to this.
Still, Marcus made no comment. He needed to wait and see what
the Magistrate would say. But he found comfort in the presence of his
two mates. Having both Sebastian and Paulie there made all the
difference in the world.
When the doors opened, Wolfram gestured for the new arrivals to
approach. “Welcome, my friends,” he said. “I do wish your visit could
have been in better circumstances.”
Both families bowed in front of The Magistrate, greeting him as
custom required. With the formalities out of the way, Alice Morrigan
stepped forward. “My Lord, is it true? Did my son really…?”
Her voice broke, and Marcus wanted to shoot Peter all over again
for causing his parents this pain. “I’m afraid so,” Wolfram replied.
“But there must be some mistake,” Alice protested. “My son
would not betray our people.”
Wolfram offered her a sad smile. “I assure you the matter is being
looked into with utmost care. For the moment, we are bringing
someone else in, but until then, we will be ask Peter and those present
here a few questions.” He looked toward Roland. “This might take a
while. Perhaps Mrs. Morrigan would like to go lie down?”
Marcus knew the reply before she even said it. “No, My Lord,”
she replied. “Let me stay. It’s the only way I can wrap my head
around it.”
“Very well,” Wolfram answered. He turned to Marcus’s parents.
“I assume Mr. and Mrs. Deacon wish to stay as well.”
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Ezekiel nodded. “This concerns our son. We cannot ever think of
leaving.”
Wolfram didn’t answer. He just directed a guard to bring Peter in.
A few instants later, Sebastian’s half brother entered the room,
flanked by a significant number of guards. He winced when he saw
his parents standing there, but didn’t speak.
“Peter Morrigan,” Wolfram began. “I assume you know why
you’ve been brought here. You’ve been accused of treason. Your
forces attacked and crashed five helicopters bearing spirit wolves
yesterday. You yourself attempted to kill Andrew Blunt and plotted to
do the same with Sebastian Morrigan and Marcus Deacon. Do you
have anything to say for yourself?”
Alice had gone very pale. Apparently, Sebastian had not told his
parents everything.
Peter stood up straight, facing his ruler with fearlessness. “I
merely wanted Sebastian and that mate of his out of the way. The
human got into the cross-fire. I didn’t intend to hurt anyone else.”
“Then why the attack at the Hart compound?” Wolfram asked.
Peter gave him a blank look. “I’m sorry? What attack?”
He seemed genuinely confused, and Marcus didn’t smell a lie on
him. At this point, lying would be useless, since the Magistrate could
see into their minds if he so desired.
Wolfram frowned and got up off his throne. He crossed the throne
room until he stood in front of Peter. “I will ask you again. What do
you know of the attack on the Hart compound?”
With the Magistrate in his personal space, Peter seemed to lose his
nerve. “I’m s–sorry,” he stammered. “I don’t know anything about
that. Although…”
“Yes?” Wolfram prodded.
Peter gulped, obviously reluctant to speak. Wolfram didn’t give
him any choice, his power filling the entire room. “There was a man,”
Peter said at last, “a feral.”
Three Mates, One Destiny
105
A gasp escaped Alice as her son spoke. “A feral,” Wolfram
repeated. “Who? How did you meet him?”
“He came to me. He said he would help me with…with what I
said before,” Peter replied hesitantly. “I never found out his name, but
he reminded me… Well, he reminded me of your mate, My Lord.”
Silence filled the room. So Joseph was behind it all. Wolfram
didn’t look surprised. “I see. And you jumped at the chance of
revenge without caring about anything else.”
“What else could I do?” He glanced toward the Deacons. “No one
would help me, not even them.”
It was Marcus’s turn to be horrified. Surely his parents couldn’t
have considered such horrifying thoughts. But Peter had no reason to
lie, not when faced with the Magistrate. The blood drained out of
Ezekiel and Harriet’s faces. It now seemed obvious they’d come here
to cover their own asses, not because of their concern for Marcus.
Marcus felt sick to his stomach. Paulie’s hand gripped Marcus’s
palm, and Sebastian’s strong arm steadied him. “It’s all right,”
Sebastian said. “This isn’t anything new.”
Marcus nodded, already feeling a bit better. His parents deserved
a punishment as well, but they’d get away with it. They hadn’t
actually done anything, so the most they could be accused of was
being awful parents and back-stabbing bastards. Wolfram frowned at
them. “Had I been notified ahead of time, this whole thing could have
been avoided. But I’ll deal with them another time. For the moment,
we’re done here.” He ordered the guards to take Peter away.
Once the door closed behind the departing soldiers, Wolfram
directed his attention toward the two spirit wolf families. “I need you
to go for the moment. Rooms have been prepared for you. Wait there.
You will be summoned again.”
The Deacons and the Morrigans silently obeyed. Marcus half-
expected to be told to leave as well, but Wolfram stopped him with a
gaze. Once the coast was clear, the Magistrate began to speak. “I trust
everyone here implicitly. You’ve all been in one way or another
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involved in this story. Peter is telling the truth. Joseph is behind this.
I’ve already discussed this with Paul’s grandparents.”
Marcus sensed his mate’s anxiety skyrocket. “And?” Paulie
prodded.
Marcus admitted he felt curious as well—although that was lightly
putting it. Paulie’s analysis of his grandparents’ DNA puzzled him,
and Marcus also wanted to know why they hadn’t been killed. It
would have been so easy. The helicopters had been attacked by
powerful weaponry, but the hits had been designed to take the
aircrafts down and allow the passengers to escape. Of course, Marcus
felt thankful for this. Otherwise, he might have died in the crash, and
Sebastian as well. But that didn’t make him disregard the details
regarding the sinister nature of Judith and Chad’s plan. Joseph’s
involvement had come as somewhat of a surprise, although Marcus
supposed he should have guessed the feral would be involved in this.
“It would seem,” Wolfram continued, “that somehow, Joseph
convinced your grandparents to invest in the creation of a second
serum, to stabilize the combination between spirit wolf and human
DNA. What they intend is to build an army of ferals, all under
Joseph’s control. As far as I can tell, Joseph didn’t have the necessary
financial resources, but it wasn’t difficult for him to convince your
grandparents, especially once they found out the truth about you.”
“That’s why they needed Doctor Blunt.” Sebastian cursed. “So
now what do we do?”
“Joseph has the advantage,” Klaus replied. “He can bring the war
to us, so to speak. We have to find him, as soon as possible, but until
we do, we need to strengthen the defenses of each and every spirit
wolf property.”
“I’m convinced Ross might be able to give us some assistance,”
Wolfram said. “The Spirit Mother always guides our steps to the right
people.”
Marcus might have believed that, if the next moment, Wolfram’s
cell didn’t ring. Wolfram looked surprised, but took the call. Since at
Three Mates, One Destiny
107
this point Marcus realized Wolfram’s phone rarely rang for good
reasons, he was not surprised when the caller, who turned out to be
Ash, told Wolfram, “I’m sorry, My Lord, but Ross seems to have
escaped, and Clay’s gone with him.”
* * * *
The next day, Wolfram assigned them to go to the Hart compound
and look into Ross’s escape. Sebastian’s heart felt heavy in his chest
at leaving his family in such an uncertain situation, but The
Magistrate promised to keep him posted and let him know of his
decision.
Sebastian hoped Wolfram would be lenient. Joseph had clearly
taken advantage of Peter’s hatred. Without the feral’s intervention,
Peter would have never acted on his own. That didn’t make Peter’s
crime any less severe, but Sebastian hoped it would decrease his half
brother’s punishment.
By the time they reached the compound, Ash already had the
entire area combed and thoroughly searched, with no luck. He met
them when they left the helicopter that brought them here. “Welcome
home,” he told them. “I wish I could give you better news, but we
haven’t found a trace of where they might have gone. Clay knows
these forests even better than I do. They’re probably miles away by
now.”
Sebastian clapped Ash on the shoulder. “Get some rest. You need
it.”
He understood how the other hunter felt. Their situations might be
very different, but they were both worried for their brothers.
Ash smiled weakly at him and led them into the house. They met
up with Linden and Trent, who greeted them with as much
enthusiasm as was possible in such circumstances. The entire house
seemed to have been emptied of energy. And when Sebastian at last
ran into Grant and Marion Hart, he had a flashback of his own
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heartbroken parents. Things like this should never happen. Families
shouldn’t be torn apart. He understood why Clay acted the way he
did. If Clay thought Ross was his mate, he’d do anything to keep the
other man safe. Of course, it remained a dilemma whether this was
actually true or not. According to what Sebastian had been told, Ross
could control the actions of others, but the secret behind this ability
had yet to be revealed.
Amy also puzzled him. She didn’t speak much, and satisfied
herself with the occasional monosyllabic comment. At the same time,
Sebastian couldn’t help but feel she might know something they
didn’t. She and Clay had always been very close to each other.
After an exhausting day, filled with questions without an answer,
Marcus and Sebastian retreated to their room. To Sebastian’s surprise
and excitement, Paulie joined them.
With everything that happened, they still hadn’t managed to claim
Paulie. Sebastian’s first instinct urged him to do so as soon as they
reached the Magistrate’s Den and could find a safe, secluded spot. But
it was hardly appropriate to have sex when Peter faced a serious
punishment, so they’d refrained from it.
Now, however, Sebastian couldn’t think of any reason to deny
himself, or his mates. As much as he cared about his brother—or
perhaps because of it—he needed the contact, the comfort. He
plopped on the bed and petted the spot next to him, gesturing for
Paulie to come closer. Marcus chuckled lightly as he took off his
shirt. “This has promise. Come on, Paulie, go ahead.”
Paulie approached the bed. “I know that I hesitated before,” he
whispered as he sat, “but I don’t want to waste a single moment. I
don’t want to lose you.”
Sebastian cupped Paulie’s cheek. “You don’t have to do this
before you’re ready.”
The young human smiled. “I’d say I was born ready, but that’s not
the case.” His expression sobered. “I understand now. I always used
to wonder how my dad could accept Trent and Valerius so easily. I
Three Mates, One Destiny
109
guess he knew some things are not meant to be explained, but to be
cherished and enjoyed.”
Sebastian couldn’t have said it better himself. The mate bond
defied all statements of logic. In life, some things simply were and did
not need more overthinking.
Gently, so as not to scare Paulie, Sebastian pressed his mouth to
the young human’s. This time, Paulie didn’t tense at all. He parted his
lips with sweet surrender, giving Sebastian access. Paulie tasted even
better than he remembered, and as their tongues entwined, Sebastian
pulled Paulie closer into his lap. The feel of Paulie’s pert ass against
him made his cock throb with desperate desire.
The bed shifted with Marcus’s weight as their mate joined them.
Sebastian felt Marcus behind him, and his excitement increased even
further. His good intentions went out the window, and he pushed
Paulie down on the bed, loving the dazed expression on the human’s
face. The motion broke their kiss, but Sebastian quickly fixed the
situation. He covered his mate’s body with his larger bulk and
crushed their lips together once more. Now, the kiss turned furious,
passionate, ravaging, Sebastian greedy for more and unable to get
enough.
He knew he should take things slower. This would technically be
their first time together, and it needed to be special. Besides, Paulie
didn’t have a lot of sexual experience, and he might shy away from
them again.
Sebastian knew all this, yes, but he couldn’t stop himself. He just
wanted to claim his mate so badly, to cement their bond for all time.
The wolf inside him howled, demanding to be released.
Somehow, Sebastian managed to keep it in check, but never once
stopped his assault on Paulie. He tore at the young human’s clothes,
getting rid of them in a few brusque motions. Panting, he stopped
their kiss, allowing himself a few moments to gaze upon the gorgeous
expanse of Paulie’s body.
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He’d seen Paulie naked before, the one time they’d been together,
when he’d given his mate a blow job. That day, Sebastian and Marcus
intended to comfort their mate in his moment of need. Anything else
would have meant taking advantage of Paulie.
Things were different now. Even if the fear of being separated still
lingered, there was more to it than that. Sebastian sensed the genuine
passion, decision, and desire coming from both Marcus and Paulie.
His two mates wanted the same thing he did.
Sebastian pulled Paulie up and changed positions on the bed.
Paulie ended up straddling Sebastian, with his back to Marcus, while
Sebastian leaned against the head board and faced both his mates.
Marcus grinned at him over Paulie’s shoulder. “Thank you, my dear
Sebastian. So generous of you to share.”
From his angle, Sebastian couldn’t see everything his wolf mate
did, at least not physically, but it didn’t matter. He saw it in his mind,
through Marcus, and felt it through Paulie. Marcus’s hands traveled
from Paulie’s shoulders over the young man’s back. Paulie shuddered,
his pleasure and excitement reaching Sebastian as well.
Marcus’s clever fingers reached Paulie’s lower regions and
caressed the upper edge of the human’s crease. The position didn’t
allow for adequate access, so Paulie lowered his body over
Sebastian’s. The new situation brought their faces close once more
and exposed Paulie’s ass to Marcus’s ministrations.
Sebastian couldn’t stop himself. He pulled Paulie in for another
kiss, distantly acknowledging Marcus’s chuckle. “I think I would be
jealous if I didn’t have this all to myself.” As he spoke, he caressed
Paulie’s ass, and the ghostly feel of skin contact made Sebastian
groan into Paulie’s mouth.
Marcus’s skillful touches vanished, but returned moments
afterward. A slick finger rubbed against Paulie’s hole. As the digit
entered their human mate, Sebastian continued to kiss Paulie, needing
more, wanting more. The indirect touch didn’t satisfy him. He hadn’t
Three Mates, One Destiny
111
claimed Paulie, so the sensations and emotions came muted, not as
powerful as they could be.
Marcus skillfully prepared Paulie then gripped the human’s hips
and lifted him away with no effort at all. Sebastian noted Marcus had
at some point removed his clothing and took advantage of the
opportunity to strip as well. As he did so, Marcus kissed Paulie, the
meeting of mouths slow and gentle, a promise to unleash the genuine
passion Marcus hid behind his calm façade.
Paulie’s legs went around Marcus’s waist as they kissed.
Sebastian watched with greedy eyes as his wolf mate’s cock nudged
against Paulie’s naked ass.
Marcus broke the kiss and looked over Paulie’s shoulder. As
always, they understood each other. Sebastian grinned at his mate.
“Go ahead,” he growled. “Fuck him. You want that, don’t you,
gorgeous? You want Marcus to fuck your ass.”
“Yes,” Paulie replied breathlessly, arching his back, a picture of
wanton need. “God, yes. Please.”
Marcus positioned Paulie over his cock. “Gently now,” he
whispered. “Don’t rush.”
Sebastian crawled at his mates’ sides, knowing the impetuousness
of youth might push Paulie into hurting himself. “Lean on me.”
He helped Paulie push down against Marcus’s cock, holding the
young human in check when Paulie would have impaled himself in
one single motion. “Bastian,” Paulie cried, “please, let me…”
But Sebastian didn’t relent, and neither did Marcus. It took
everything inside Sebastian to keep to the threads of his patience. He
sensed the tight grip of Paulie’s ass around Marcus’s cock, and he
knew he’d have never been able to hold back like his wolf mate did.
At last, Paulie was fully impaled on Marcus’s dick. Sebastian
licked the sweat off Paulie’s shoulder and murmured, “Okay now.
Ride him, gorgeous. At your own rhythm.”
He released Paulie and let him set the pace. Almost instantly,
Paulie let loose. He was poetry in motion, sex and sin incarnate. His
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body accepted Marcus’s cock with little resistance, and the sight of it
nearly made Sebastian come on the spot.
In a flash, Marcus flipped Paulie over on all fours, and thrust back
inside. Paulie cried out, but he didn’t lose his balance. He looked up
at Sebastian with lust-filled blue eyes. “Please…”
Sebastian didn’t need to be asked twice. His dick demanded
release, preferably within one of his mates. Without hesitation, he
rubbed his cock against Paulie’s lips, groaning as his human’s pink
tongue came out to lick at the leaking tip. Sebastian allowed his mate
to experiment for a few moments, but with each teasing lick, the need
escalated even more.
But one thrust from Marcus made Paulie gasp and lose his focus.
Marcus had allowed Paulie to get used to the new position, but with
the renewed rhythm, Paulie proved to be unable to tease Sebastian
further. He parted his lips, and Sebastian took the invitation. He
pushed inside the wet cavern, threading his fingers through Paulie’s
sweaty locks.
Sexual energy arched between them. As he fucked Paulie’s
mouth, Sebastian felt like he’d died and gone to heaven. He simply let
go, reveling in the way Paulie took him deep. With each of Marcus’s
thrusts inside their mate, Paulie moaned, sending vibrations of ecstasy
through Sebastian.
The rhythm between them became a symphony of carnal
fulfillment. Together, they chased their orgasms. Sebastian was so
close, and he could feel the pleasure soar inside his mates as well. He
just needed one more thing to make the moment perfect.
His fangs descended, and he ached to sink them in Paulie’s flesh.
He felt an echoing desire inside Marcus. In their current position, they
couldn’t fulfill it, but they could change that.
* * * *
Three Mates, One Destiny
113
Paulie was speared in two by his mates’ cocks. He’d never have
thought he could experience so much bliss in his life. Any moment
now, his brain would short-circuit and he’d die out of sensual
overload.
Sebastian’s taste on his tongue made his head spin like ambrosia.
Marcus’s dick stretched him to the extent of pain, the burn and the
feeling of complete fullness driving him closer and closer to orgasm.
He didn’t even have to touch himself. He could feel his climax there,
just within his reach.
And then, out of the blue, his mates vanished. Sebastian’s cock
left Paulie’s mouth and Marcus’s abandoned his ass. A feeling of
emptiness and abandonment assaulted Paulie and he moaned in
protest. If not for the fact that he could still feel them there, so close to
him, he’d have thought everything had only been a wonderful dream.
He didn’t have time to wonder about the reason of his mates’
sudden actions. Marcus lifted him up with striking ease and tossed
him to Sebastian. Dazed, Paulie recovered when Sebastian fat prick
filled him in one single thrust. The pain and the pleasure choked him.
He scrambled for some sort of anchor, and clung to Sebastian’s
shoulders, distantly hearing his own voice beg and plead.
And then, just when Paulie thought it could not get any better, his
mates proved him wrong. A shock of sweet agony coursed through
him when Marcus’s fangs pierced the sensitive skin of his throat. The
amazing ecstasy that followed made Paulie lose track of all reality.
An explosive climax swept over him and a sense of wildness invaded
him, awakening a deep passion within. Another bite, Sebastian’s this
time, tamed it, turning it into something else entirely.
For a few moments, he forgot his very identity. He didn’t exist
beyond this moment. Space and time vanished as the bond with his
mates cemented, tying their destinies together for all time. He could
see them in his mind, so handsome, so brave, so loving, and he didn’t
know what he’d done to deserve the gift of their overwhelming
affection.
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In the end, the whys and the hows didn’t matter. Paulie accepted
them wholeheartedly, and opened his mind and soul to their bond.
Throughout it all, the pleasure guided him. Renewed bliss burst
through him as his two mates found their peak as well, and in that
beautiful moment, Paulie didn’t know where one ended and the other
began.
He didn’t know how long he floated in the perfect aftermath of the
orgasm, but when he at last recovered, he found himself sandwiched
between Marcus and Sebastian. This position was quickly becoming a
personal favorite, and he allowed himself to enjoy the combined
scents of man, sweat, and sex. At one point during his dazed
unconsciousness, his mates must have wiped him down, and he didn’t
even have to move to clean up. No one spoke, the silence comfortable
and sweet, and Paulie smiled to himself. They might not be in a
perfect situation. Hell, they had so much trouble coming their way it
should have scared him. But Paulie felt no fear. He just knew that
from now on, no one would be able to tear them apart. They’d deal
with the rest, together.
Three Mates, One Destiny
115
Epilogue
A few weeks later
Marcus analyzed the blueprints in his hand and looked over the
skeleton of the building in front of him. The construction of the new
clinic at the Hart compound was going quite well. They were actually
ahead of schedule, which surprised Marcus, given that the people here
needed to work on strengthening their defense perimeter at the same
time.
Many spirit wolf families piped in to help. They all knew the
importance of the clinic, and of Andrew Blunt’s research and studies.
Even Fritz, Wolfram’s human mate, came to lend a hand. The man
had worked in construction prior to his bonding with the Magistrate
and turned out to be an invaluable resource.
Still, nothing could ever be perfect. These days, Sebastian spent a
lot of time away from the compound and with his parents. The
Morrigans had great difficulty in accepting the fate Peter chose for
himself. The Magistrate eventually decided on incarceration for an
indefinite period for Peter, as well as Paulie’s grandparents. As cozy
as the accommodation might be, the fact remained that Peter would be
imprisoned. Judith and Chad might not live long enough to truly
appreciate the severity of this punishment. For a spirit wolf, it was
much worse. They needed to be free, to let their beast run and hunt.
For Peter, that life would be over now. Marcus’s family narrowly
escaped the same punishment, being exiled to their own domains
instead. It didn’t worry Marcus too much. His sister, Sophie would
take care of them if need be.
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The familiar feel of his human mate drove him out of his thoughts.
“He’ll be back soon,” Paulie whispered. “You’ll see.”
Marcus sighed and put the blueprints back in the pocket of his
jacket. He gripped Paulie’s hand and kissed it. “I know. It’s very
difficult.”
Paulie’s warm arms went around his waist. “This damn thing
won’t last forever. We’ll find Joseph, and then we can be together,
always.”
Marcus hoped so. He’d never been away from Sebastian for so
long and so often before. It didn’t help that Sebastian’s anxiety
plagued him even from the distance. Their parting hurt Sebastian as
much as it hurt Marcus and Paulie. He trusted that once the hospital
was complete and the safety measures fully in place, he and Paulie
could join Sebastian on his visits.
All of a sudden, a deep warmth began to fill Marcus. He broke
away from Paulie and they shared a knowing look. “Sebastian’s
coming,” Paulie said.
Marcus’s gloomy mood didn’t vanish completely, but he still felt
relieved “Come on. Let’s meet him.”
After what seemed like forever, Sebastian’s Jeep pulled in and
stopped in front of Marcus and Paulie. Sebastian got out, his
expression a mix of relief, joy, and disgruntlement. Immediately,
Marcus knew Sebastian’s anxiety held a deeper cause than just their
separation.
“What happened?” he and Paulie asked at the same time.
Sebastian smiled weakly. “I’ll tell you later.” He gave them both a
telling look, and Marcus understood the information Sebastian found
out needed to be kept away from indiscreet ears.
Several more people came out to meet Sebastian. “Hello, my
boy,” Grant Hart said. “How are your parents?”
“As well as can be expected,” Sebastian replied.
Three Mates, One Destiny
117
Grant nodded in understanding. The man seemed to have aged in
the past few weeks. Clay’s disappearance had hit him hard, especially
when coupled with the attack on his family and compound.
“Come on inside,” Marion said. “You’re probably exhausted.”
As always, Amy smiled silently. These days, her mind always
seemed on something else. Marcus wondered if her parents
questioned her about Clay’s whereabouts. Perhaps she might know
something. But Marcus refrained from making any comments. If she
did have a secret, it wasn’t his place to draw it out of her.
A while later, they escaped the clutches of the Harts and managed
to take a breather in their room. Fortunately, Ash and the others were
busy on the construction site, so they reached their destination without
being noticed.
“Now can you tell us what’s wrong?” Paulie asked as soon as the
door closed.
“We received notice a feral and two spirit wolves have been
spotted in Ireland. Unfortunately, by the time our troops got there,
they were already long gone.”
Paulie looked both concerned and hopeful. “You think it might be
Ross?”
“Perhaps,” Sebastian replied, “although the presence of the second
wolf confuses and worries me.”
Marcus agreed. The idea that more traitors might appear
concerned him, too.
“At any rate,” Sebastian continued, “we can’t let Marion and
Grant know. It will only hurt them. I will talk to Ash tonight. The
Magistrate is already assembling a troop to scout the area better. If
Ross is there, they’ll find him.”
“And when that happens, he’ll need our help,” Paulie answered.
Sebastian nodded. “Clay might be holding the virus back with his
bite for the moment, but it won’t work for long. It might very well
make things worse.”
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Thankfully, Paulie and Andrew had been able to prepare a new
batch of the serum in the Magistrate’s Den labs, but beyond that,
nothing was certain. Ross’s powers, Clay’s involvement, and the
appearance of this third spirit wolf complicated everything.
But then, Paulie smiled, his expression so warm it reached out to
every corner of Marcus’s heart. “It will be all right,” he told them.
“You’ll see.”
The words might have seemed pointless, but the tension drained
out of Sebastian and Marcus. When Marcus looked into Paulie’s eyes,
he truly believed everything would be fine. How could he not? In
Paulie’s blue gaze, he saw light, love, his own and Sebastian’s
emotions reflected, and so much hope for the future. If anyone could
help the spirit wolves, it was Paulie and his dad. For his part, Marcus
never expected to feel for someone the same thing he did for
Sebastian, and this affection, a miracle in itself, gave him the belief
the Spirit Mother watched over them. And Marcus would do anything
to protect this miracle, his mates, his lovers, and his hope.
THE END
WWW.SCARLETHYACINTH.WEBS.COM
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A native Romanian, Scarlet was born in 1986 and grew up an
avid fan of Karl May and Jules Verne, reading fantasy stories and
adventure. Later, when she was out of fantasy stories to read, she
delved into her mother’s collection of books, and of course, stumbled
onto romance.
As a writer though, Scarlet Hyacinth was born one sunny summer
day, when a dear friend of hers—the same friend who introduced her
to GLBT fiction—proposed they start writing a story of their own. As
it turns out, the two friends never did finish that particular story, but
Scarlet discovered she had a knack for writing and ended up starting
to write individually. And so, between working on her dissertation,
studying for exams, and reading yaoi manga, she started writing the
Kaldor Saga. Along the way, Scarlet met a lot of wonderful people
who supported her, and in the end, she found her story a home, and in
the process, fulfilled a beautiful dream.
Also by Scarlet Hyacinth
Siren Classic ManLove: Kaldor Saga 1: Enraptured
Siren Classic ManLove: Kaldor Saga 2: Over the Edge
Siren Classic ManLove: Kaldor Saga 3: Destinies in Darkness, Part 1
Siren Classic ManLove: Kaldor Saga 3: Destinies in Darkness, Part 2
Siren Classic ManLove: Kaldor Saga 4: Mending Shattered Souls
Ménage Amour ManLove: The Three Horsemen of the Black Forest
Siren Allure ManLove: Truth and Deception
Siren Classic ManLove: Sequel to Truth and Deception: Reborn
Siren Classic ManLove: Deadly Mates 1: Moon’s Sweet Poison
Siren Classic ManLove: Deadly Mates 2: Wings of Moonlight
Ménage Amour ManLove: Deadly Mates 3:
Spell of the Predator’s Moon
Ménage Amour ManLove: Deadly Mates 4: Dragon’s Bloodmoon
Ménage Amour ManLove: Fire of the Four Seasons
Ménage Amour ManLove: Spirit Wolves 1:
A Mate Beyond Their Reach
Ménage Amour ManLove: Spirit Wolves 2: Mates in Life and Death
Ménage Amour ManLove: Spirit Wolves 3:
Two Mates for a Magistrate
Available at
BOOKSTRAND.COM
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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