Naturally, his mom still attempted to protest, but with an actual goddess there, she could no longer argue that Quinn’s plan held little importance or little chance of success. Quinn kissed her cheek and squeezed her shoulder. “I’m going to go pack. I promise you, everything will be all right.”
“That won’t be necessary,” the Spirit Mother piped up. “I took the liberty of gathering some of your more important personal items and sent them off to Hewitt’s.”
Quinn turned toward the white wolf. The thought of someone, even a powerful goddess like her, rummaging through his underwear drawer embarrassed him, but he understood the reasoning behind the action. Truly, he was thankful, because every second of delay meant more pain for G’aladon.
“Thank you,” he told the Spirit Mother. He threw a brief smile his mom’s way. “I’ll be back soon. Don’t worry, and tell Dawn I’m sorry we didn’t get to say good-bye. I love you both.”
Roarke got up and headed toward Quinn. He seemed to have recovered completely from seeing the Spirit Mother, or perhaps she had encouraged him as well. Either way, he took Quinn’s hand and squeezed it. “We’re ready,” he said simply.
The white wolf nodded in a strikingly human-like gesture. “Just close your eyes. It will be easier.”
Quinn obeyed, his heart racing a hundred miles a minute. He was excited, but also nervous, since he’d never taken up such an important responsibility before. Not only that, but he’d never experienced such powerful magic firsthand. While he had grown up in a home saturated with knowledge of the supernatural, being involved with it so completely was new and just a bit frightening.
But Roarke was by his side, and in a strange way, so was G’aladon. Quinn could feel the witch in his mind now, distant, but there, and it brought him a comfort he didn’t think he could ever let go. Even when he acknowledged the pain G’aladon was going through, he couldn’t bear the thought of losing him.
Roarke’s voice snapped him out of his musings. “You can open your eyes now,” the feral whispered in his ear.
Quinn did, and he gasped in shock when he realized he was no longer in the diner owned by his parents. Instead, he was in what looked like a cabin, and three handsome men stood in front of him. Quinn only recognized Devon, but it wasn’t hard to guess the other two must be his mates. Wow. Quinn had been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn’t felt the magical shift in location. He didn’t know whether to feel disappointed or relieved, so, instead, he focused on his current location.
Devon took a step forward and hugged Roarke. Roarke’s body went as tense as a bowstring, and Quinn could feel the feral’s shock almost as if it were his own. He gently released Roarke’s hand, allowing the two friends to reunite.
Roarke stole a look at him, and Quinn just arched a brow. With a sigh, Roarke relaxed in Devon’s arms and hugged the other wolf back.
Quinn couldn’t help a smile. He knew that ferals didn’t like each other and liked spirit wolves even less. But from what Devon had told him, he and Roarke had been great friends before they’d lost their grip on their beasts and turned feral. Devon wanted that friendship back, and apparently, so did Roarke. Quinn was happy for them both.
At last, Devon released Roarke and cleared his throat, as if embarrassed. “Sorry about that.”
“Not to worry.” Roarke chuckled. “We always were demonstrative.”
A wide grin graced Devon’s full lips. “Indeed we were. But where are my manners? First off, I’m glad to see you here, Roarke, and the same goes for you, Quinn. It seems that every day, you grow up more.”
Quinn snorted. “I very much doubt that. But I’m glad to see you, too.”
Devon smirked. “Let me introduce you to my mates. These are Hewitt and Mason,” Devon said, gesturing to his companions.
In turn, both men stepped forward. The bulkier brown-haired man eyed Quinn and Roarke with a warrior’s gaze. “I’m Mason,” he said. “I hear you need our help with an unusual problem.”
Well, he was certainly direct. The other man, a handsome brunet, elbowed Mason. “At least welcome them properly. Gods.” Shaking his head in what seemed to be exasperation, he turned toward Quinn and smiled. “Hewitt Moore,” he said, extending his hand toward Quinn. “You must be very confused, and I assure you that soon, you’ll find out everything you need to know. For the moment, welcome to our home. We’re always happy to have visitors, especially friends of Devon’s.”
As their hands touched, Quinn looked closer at Hewitt. A shudder of recognition flashed through him, and he squeezed the offered palm harder. Hewitt arched a brow, but didn’t attempt to pull back. Much to his dismay, Quinn realized he was hard.
A low growl escaped Mason, and even Devon narrowed his gaze at Quinn. Roarke pulled Quinn away, baring his teeth at the other two wolves. Oh, fuck. It looked like his overactive libido had already shattered the renewed bond between Devon and Roarke.
Hewitt just laughed. “Stop your growling. I’m afraid you’re going to have to get used to that, Quinn. Wolves are naturally very possessive, and it’s only worse when there are two of them. For the record, it’s not me you’re responding to, but my resemblance to my ancestor.”
His ancestor. That must mean G’aladon. Quinn’s face flamed at the implication of the words. “I didn’t…I mean we’re not—”
Hewitt gave him a look full of understanding. “I know. How could you be, with him trapped there? But it’s a subconscious thing, a natural reaction.”
Quinn still felt a little embarrassed, but was relieved when he realized the wolves were no longer tense. Instead, Mason and Devon seemed quite mortified themselves, while Roarke wrapped an arm around Quinn’s waist.
“And I think we know all about natural reactions, don’t we?” Hewitt inquired pleasantly.
It was almost amusing to see the two wolves fidgeting under their mate’s jet-black gaze. All of a sudden, Quinn had a feeling their behavior wasn’t only caused by Quinn’s inability to control himself. In a way, it made sense. Given what he knew so far, G’aladon had basically attempted to kill Hewitt. Devon and Mason were likely protective of the witch. They couldn’t be pleased that Quinn planned to release G’aladon.
Before they could fall into awkwardness, Devon started speaking again. “Right. Well, now that we have both the warm welcome and the snarling out of the way, come in and make yourselves comfortable. As you see, sections of our cabin are still under construction.”
Indeed, when Quinn looked around a little, he could see that portions of the house were still unfinished. Even so, the building looked cozy, like a home, not merely a structure. He could only describe it as a nest, a retreat for the three men who clearly loved each other a lot.
A worm of jealousy slithered into his heart. He wanted that for himself, and for…He quickly squashed the thought before it could fully form. He had to stop thinking about himself, his embarrassment, and his inadequacy. There were more important things to deal with here.
“It’s very nice,” he told Devon. “Thank you for welcoming us here. But I have to ask, what exactly did the Spirit Mother tell you about our problem?”
“Everything they needed to know.” Unsurprisingly, the Spirit Mother manifested in front of them. “And now, I will tell you as well. Sit down and listen.”
Mason and Devon brought chairs, and everyone obeyed the white wolf. Quinn felt G’aladon’s restlessness at the back of his mind, and he sent waves of calm, hoping it would reach the witch. He still didn’t fully understand how this strange connection worked.
“As you all know,” the Spirit Mother began, “G’aladon is trapped in the astral realm. Most of us here have in one way or another been involved in that. But as Hewitt sensed the last time he met the witch, things are not so simple. The world is never simply made up of black and white. There are many shades of gray, foggy waters which we must navigate.”
She turned toward Roarke and Quinn. “You also have been told that G’aladon wants to free himself through death. What
he probably didn’t mention is that his plan will essentially shatter his soul, wiping out all traces of his existence.”
Quinn didn’t think he could have been more horrified than before, but apparently, he’d been wrong. He knew that reincarnation was possible and had actually happened for some spirit wolves. But even if he hadn’t realized that, he’d still have cherished the idea of an afterlife, a place where everyone could reunite with lost loved ones. G’aladon would not have that. After what he had endured in the astral realm, he deserved better.
“But I think everyone has a right to a second chance,” the Spirit Mother continued. “This will not be easy at all. If we falter for one instant, if your faith in each other fails, you will lose everything.”
Quinn knew she wasn’t referring to Devon and his mates, but to him and Roarke. “I understand that. Tell us. What must we do?”
“The first factor you must understand is that there is a purpose behind G’aladon’s plan. He aims to provide absolution for the creatures he brought into this world. The orcs have no souls, and he wants to change that.”
Silence greeted her decree. Quinn couldn’t have been more surprised if she’d told him the moon was made out of cheese. He took a deep breath, focusing to process what she had said. “What do you mean? How is that possible?”
“As he is the one who engineered their existence, he is linked to them the same way I am linked to the spirit wolves. Whether he knows it or not, G’aladon has an uncommonly strong soul, which is why his power became so absolute when he gave it up. Now that it is back, he means to shatter it and grant a piece to each of his creations.”
That was noble, but Quinn couldn’t bring himself to feel proud for G’aladon. He was too terrified, too frightened that G’aladon would find a way to achieve his plan. He could not allow it. He would save the witch. He just had to.
“Please,” a weak voice came inside his mind. “It is the way things must be.”
“Nothing is certain,” Quinn replied without missing a beat. “No one is forcing you to do this. The Spirit Mother told us there is another solution.”
“There might be, but I admit I don’t fully trust Shaiyta.” A sigh. “Quinn, I—”
Before he could finish the phrase, the Spirit Mother interrupted him. “Are you being deliberately cruel to your human, G’aladon?” she inquired. “Why do you insist on this madness? I know you dislike me, but that is no reason to throw your life away now that you finally have a chance to live it.”
Quinn realized she was speaking inside his head. Even so, Roarke seemed to hear her, although Hewitt and the others just seemed confused.
Meanwhile, G’aladon and the Spirit Mother continued their conversation. “When you create something, you take responsibility for their actions, and for their lives,” G’aladon said. “I was building myself an army, and I did not care that my soldiers were living, breathing creatures. They were tools to me. I need to make it up to them. No matter what you say, I cannot have a real life, but they can. I want them to.”
“And how do you think they will feel once they are granted this gift and are left lost and leaderless? They have been emotionless for centuries. They would not know what to do with what you offer. It would only destroy them further.”
Her words gave G’aladon pause. Apparently, he agreed with her reasoning. “And what do you suggest, then?” he asked quietly. Quinn could feel the witch’s pain arching through his muscles. “I do not want to be cruel. I merely want to give Quinn and Roarke freedom and give the Oriakai a better life. I do not know any other way to do it.”
“This is why you must listen to me carefully and trust me. To achieve your goal, Quinn and Roarke have to join you in the astral realm.”
* * * *
Horror assaulted G’aladon as the Spirit Mother’s words reached him. How could she even suggest that? He would rather die a thousand deaths or continue living in the astral realm for the rest of eternity before he allowed this torment to destroy Quinn and Roarke. Quinn in particular was like a delicate flower that needed light to bloom. His soul held so much love, and G’aladon was ashamed to admit that he had used that love for his own purposes. G’aladon refused to put the human in harm’s way, and he relied on Roarke to protect Quinn when he could not.
“No, I don’t trust you,” he told Shaiyta. He should have known better than to attempt to get her to help him in the first place. “I can’t understand how you would sentence one of your own to such a fate.”
In the end, Roarke was her child, which made G’aladon wonder and doubt her motivations even more. He felt her irritation lash out at him and tried to absorb it within himself, knowing that Quinn and Roarke would be able to experience it through him if he wasn’t careful. He only half succeeded, and through his mind’s eye, he saw both men recoil.
Instantly, Shaiyta retreated, probably realizing that she was hurting Quinn and Roarke as well. “My apologies,” she told them. “It seems that, like always, our friend draws out the worst in me.”
Once more, she reached out to G’aladon. This time, the agony vanished, replaced by a feeling of calm and relaxation. “I don’t mean you any harm, G’aladon, and I wouldn’t deliberately endanger a child of mine. You know this. Why must you be so stubborn?”
“May I remind you that the last two times we met, you banished me to this place?” Not that he hadn’t deserved it, but that was beside the point. Her opinion of him couldn’t have changed so radically since then.
“My opinion hasn’t changed at all,” she told him. “I’ve always believed you were capable of far greater things than the ones you destroyed yourself with. It was very saddening for me to trap you here, but as you know, we had no other solution.”
This time, she wasn’t apologizing for what she had done, merely explaining. G’aladon wanted to believe her. After all, what did she have to gain from hurting Quinn and Roarke? G’aladon was already caught within the astral realm and couldn’t get out. Perhaps she truly intended to help him.
But G’aladon didn’t dare chancing it. He couldn’t risk the safety of the two men who had grown to mean so much to him, whether they knew it or not.
To his surprise, it was Quinn who stopped the debate. “I’m afraid you have no say in the matter. I think I speak for both myself and Roarke when I say that we’re willing to do anything to solve this.”
“Agreed,” Roarke offered. “Arguing about it is useless. You must have realized that we would never have allowed you to go through with your original plan.”
G’aladon might have continued to protest, to argue against the far too dangerous idea. But then, the Spirit Mother said, “You’ll be able to see them, to touch them. You’ll be able to kiss them.”
His resolve crumbled. Selfish as it was, he yearned for that. He had desired it for so long. He could no longer fight Quinn and Roarke’s will. He was helpless against the strong desire within the two men.
“All right,” he said, excitement, guilt, and terror warring inside his heart. “What must I do?”
“Simply open your mind and follow our instructions. We shall do the rest.”
Chapter Four
Once G’aladon agreed, things moved at a far-quicker pace. Since the cabin was quite small, Hewitt directed them outside. Roarke found himself waiting in a beautiful forest, while the witch made the preparations for the ritual. Roarke and Quinn just stayed out of the way, and eventually, so did Mason and Devon, since Hewitt seemed to handle the issue just fine on his own.
Meanwhile, the Spirit Mother proceeded to explain the details of her idea. “The two of you will join G’aladon in the astral realm,” she said. “This will leave a rift open, allowing him to come out. Now, chances are that if he does abandon his prison, he will go insane again and attempt to do something we’d all regret. This is why you must bond to him.”
“Bond?” Quinn repeated. “How?”
But Roarke already knew what she meant. He had already suspected this was coming. In his heart, he had k
nown it even before he’d met Quinn. The human’s affection toward G’aladon and the almost irrational attraction between him and Roarke only confirmed it. They were mates.
Roarke admitted that this wasn’t exactly what he’d had in mind when he’d imagined meeting his potential mate. As a spirit wolf, he had thought he would know his other half on sight. Their eyes would meet and they would breathlessly introduce themselves, and then Roarke would initiate courtship. He would nuzzle his mate’s nape, touch him, and get acquainted with their new bond. Then, they would finally settle on the grass, because in Roarke’s opinion, the ideal place for this union would be somewhere in a forest. With eager hands, they would remove each other’s clothing, touching, exploring, caressing.
He hadn’t considered the chance that something might interfere with his meeting with his mate and they would be unable to consummate their bond. Perhaps he hadn’t wanted to, because somewhere deep inside, he had sensed the truth about his connection to G’aladon.
Shaking himself, Roarke focused on Quinn and the Spirit Mother once again. Quinn was giving him a puzzled look, having obviously sensed Roarke’s mood. Roarke forced his mind away from his peculiar musings. He might have dreamed for an ideal, but what he had received was so much better. He just needed to fight to reach it, and he intended to do just that.
He’d have liked to hear the Spirit Mother’s opinion on his bond with the other two men, but she didn’t seem inclined to provide it. “You’ll know what to do when the time comes,” she said unhelpfully.
Roarke just nodded and wrapped his arm around Quinn’s shoulder, pulling the human close. This was so important, perhaps the most important thing Roarke had done in his whole life. He buried his face in Quinn’s hair, inhaling his mate’s comforting scent. He didn’t think he’d be able to live with himself if he disappointed Quinn or G’aladon.
“Worry not,” G’aladon’s voice appeared in his mind. “You can never disappoint me.”
The Mates Who Gave Him Salvation [Feral 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour ManLove) Page 5
