by T. S. Ryder
Lukas roared, springing forward. His fists flew, but Will was not caught off guard this time. He sidestepped the blows, sinking a fist into Lukas' stomach. A rush filled him and he bared his teeth in a snarl. It felt good to act on his impulses, rather than always burying them and acting like he didn't care. Lukas huffed out a breath and stumbled back, face paling, but Will followed up, punching hard into the other Alpha's face. Will felt something crack.
"Stop!" Catherine screamed. She jumped to her feet and grabbed her own face, eyes wide. "Will, stop, you'll hurt him!"
"That’s the point!"
Blood poured down Lukas' face. He slammed his palm into Will's sternum. His breath whooshed out of his lung and his heart did a strange double beat. The other Alpha's face was twisted in fury. Another blow, but this one Will blocked. Every frustrated, helpless feeling that had been building in Will since the Geisterwolf first arrived came pouring out as they traded blows, snarls and growls filling the air as their teeth lengthened and fur began to sprout along their backs.
"Stop it! Stop! This wasn't supposed to happen!" Catherine turned away, hiding her face.
Will shoved Lukas away from him and bent over panting. The other Alpha did the same. The features of the Wolf in them both faded as they stared at one another.
"We can't fight." Will shook his head. "This isn't helping Elena. We need to find a way to get her back before the Geisterwolf kills her. Fighting each other is just a waste of time."
Lukas straightened and nodded. "You're right. I'll phone Xavier, see if he knows anything. You have a good point, it shouldn't have been able to attack after sunrise. The only think I can think that when we made her angry it grew stronger…"
"We can deliberate that when Elena is back with us, safe."
Catherine grasped Will's arm. "But surely she'd be dead already by now."
Something in her voice made a red flag go up in Will's head. He turned towards her, frowning, as Lukas made for the telephone. Catherine stared at him with uncertainty in her eyes as he studied her. Why were she and Harriet here in the first place? He told them to stay away.
He'd taken away their keys and told them that it was over. Catherine never did anything without Harriet's approval, and Harriet would never have come here to show her support towards Elena as his mate. She was a beautiful woman, but full of her own ambition. She was willing to use everyone around her for her own means.
"You said that this wasn't supposed to happen. What did you mean by that?"
Catherine swallowed hard and stepped back from him. Her eyes darted around the room. She was an awful liar. It was one of the things Will liked about her, that he could see through her head to whatever plots Harriet was cooking up. So what was making her look so pale now?
"Answer me. Are you and Harriet involved in this?"
"I…" Catherine shrank from before him. "Harriet said she was just using you, and I could see the way she acted she doesn't love you like we do."
Lukas strode over and shook Catherine. "What did you do?"
"Harriet took her away. You deserve a proper mate, one that will give you everything you desire, not demand her own way constantly. And you were always fighting for her, the Geisterwolf will kill you if you keep defending her. I don't want her to die, but it's the only way to keep you safe."
Will couldn't breathe. Out of everything that had been going through his head of late, he hadn't thought much about how his actions would affect Catherine and Harriet. He hadn't thought they would come after Elena.
But now as he stared at Catherine's pleading eyes, he saw the truth. He wasn't some sort of impressive, rebel Alpha who did his own thing. He was a monster that used people for his own ends. His blood ran cold. He would have used Elena the same way, as a broodmare to give him children. Even though his feelings had been changing towards her, those thoughts had remained the forefront of his mind.
It was his carelessness with the feelings of those around him that had caused this. Harriet had taken Elena because of it.
Lukas gripped his shoulder. "Will, snap out of it! We need to get Elena back before sundown."
Will shook himself from his horror and nodded. There would be time for regrets later, but not now. It was morning, which meant that they had lots of time before the Geisterwolf returned for Elena, but they didn't have any time to waste. He didn't think that Harriet would kill her herself, but did he really know her all that well? She never really let him know her. She was too cunning for that.
"Where did Harriet take her?" Will asked Catherine.
"But she's no good for you."
"Maybe not," Will said, not wanting to waste time on arguing with her. "But she is Lukas' mate. Does he deserve to lose her? Does she deserve to die for something she didn't ask for? Her father signed her away as a baby for a piece of land. She didn't ask for any this! Catherine, please."
His ex-girlfriend's face was pale. She swallowed heavily. "Harriet was taking her to the old abandoned sawmill by the lake."
Relief broke over Will. He nodded. "Thank you. Lukas, we'll take my car. It's faster."
"I'm the better driver."
Will knew it was true. After he retrieved his keys, he tossed them to the other Alpha. As they headed out to the car, Catherine followed. Tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Will?"
He turned.
"You never loved me, did you?"
Will shook his head. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for using you the way I did, and I'm sorry for using Harriet. You both deserved better than how I treated you. I blame myself for all of this. You're a great girl, Catherine. Don't every let a man treat you the way I did again."
"I loved you."
"I know. And I'm sorry."
Lukas leaned out the window. "We don't have time for this."
Will slid into the car. They headed off, and all he could do was sit and stare out the window, hoping they wouldn't be too late. The old sawmill was several hours away, and with all the equipment there… well, if Harriet did have a homicide on her mind, then they needed to move quickly in order to get there in time. And if they didn't…
"I love her," he blurted.
Lukas was silent.
"I didn't think I was capable of love. But I love Elena."
"I love her, too. I have since the first time I saw her picture. I had such dreams built in my head… I thought I could handle the three of us because you'd be her mate in name only. But I don't know anymore."
Will sighed. "We need to get her back. That's the most important thing. Everything else… We'll have to discuss with her."
Lukas nodded. They continued in silence.
***
They arrived at the sawmill halfway through the afternoon. As soon as the car was parked, the two Alphas burst out and ran inside the old building. Will came up short at what he saw there.
Elena was tied in the center of a circle of candles, her eyes wide as she struggled uselessly against her bonds. Harriet crouched just outside the circle, her skin deathly pale, her usually pretty face looking haggard and worn, with dark wrinkles under her eyes and sharp teeth in her mouth.
"Harriet," Will said, stepping forward. "Let her go. I don't want to hurt you."
"Harriet is no longer here," the woman said, her voice hoarse and cracked. "You mistreated her and lost her. But by her sacrifice, I have returned. And by your mate, I will have my mate again."
Her head threw back, and a deep, echoing howl rang through the sawmill, shaking the very foundations. And then her body twisted, shifting in a giant white wolf. Will stepped back, eyes widening in horror. The Wolf separated from Harriet, and his ex-girlfriend dropped to the floor.
The Geisterwolf howled again and charged him.
Chapter Eight – Elena
Elena struggled against the ropes that bound her. She gnawed at the rope on her wrists, but all she managed was to scrape her skin raw with her teeth. When the Geisterwolf clashed with her two alphas, her heart froze. Fierce snarling filled the sawdust-sce
nted air. Harriet was slumped at the edge of the circle that she had drawn around Elena, but the human only had eyes for the fight.
Will and Lukas worked as one against the creature, one darting in and tearing at its throat while the other circled it and grabbed its hindquarters, pulling it off balance. The Geisterwolf's blue eyes turned blood-red. It pounced on Will, tearing at his neck before it was abruptly gone.
How quickly it disappeared would have been more comforting if she knew it wasn't coming back. But it could reappear as quickly as it had appeared.
The two Alphas circled for a moment, their heads swinging from side to side, noses twitching as they attempted to scent out the creature. But nothing further happened, and they both turned their attention to Elena. Her stomach twisted into hundreds of knots as both came to her. Will used his teeth to gnaw through the ropes while Lukas licked her face and the scrapes on her arms. It felt so comforting that Elena was almost ready to burst into tears by the time she was free.
She threw her arms around Lukas' neck, holding tightly. They were both so brave and bold, so willing to fight for her. Will Shifted and stroked her hair for a moment before he moved to Harriet's side. Elena shivered, looking at the body.
"She set this all up and chanted some sort of incantation," she told the Alphas. "She said shew as going to do the Geisterwolf's work for him and summon his mate, but when she was halfway done, she started screaming. She clutched her head and fell, and then when she looked up, I knew it wasn't her anymore. I don't know what happened…"
Lukas shook his head. "She chose her own fate."
Will knelt beside Harriet and checked for a pulse. His shoulders slumped. "She's dead."
"She brought it on herself," Lukas said again, but this time his gaze was focused on Will. "And she was trying to kill our mate."
Our mate. Elena liked hearing him say that.
Will glanced over at them, and his gaze lingered on Elena. There was such sadness in them that she couldn't repress a shiver. He nodded slowly, although the movement was lethargic. There was a brief moment when Elena swore she could see tears in his eyes before he stood abruptly and turned away from the other two.
"She may have chosen her fate, but that doesn't mean I'm guiltless. I should have treated her better. I should have treated them both better. I never intended to mate either Harriet or Catherine, but I let them believe that I might. This is my fault. All of this is my fault."
Elena shivered but moved from Lukas' comforting arms to go to Will and put her arms around him. "It's not your fault that the Geisterwolf is after me."
"Isn't it? Bad enough that you were being mated to Lukas against your will, but adding me to the mixture only made it worse. And it’s a White Wolf, Elena." Will's eyes were desperate as he searched hers.
"I don't know what that means."
Lukas joined them. He bent and closed Harriet's eyes. "White Wolves are very rare. Out of all the Wolves I know, only one family has a penchant for White Wolves to be born among them."
"Mine," Will said. "The Geisterwolf could very well be my ancestor. It could be going after you because I decided that you were my mate, without asking you. All this is my fault. If I wasn't such a pig-headed, stubborn—"
Elena pressed a hand over his mouth. She hated that he was blaming himself. "It's not your fault. You couldn’t have seen this coming."
Will pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply. Her skin sizzled and if it weren't for the fact that the Geisterwolf's attack and Harriet's dead body lying on the floor, she would have suggested that they stay a while. Both Will and Lukas were already naked, after all. But now was the wrong time to even think about it.
"We're not going to let the Geisterwolf hurt you," Lukas said. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. But unlike previous times, he didn't try to take her away from Will, instead seeming content to sandwich her between them. "And after this is all over, I will annul the contract that my father drew up. You don't have to be my mate… I'll lease the land to your father."
"But—"
"But the important thing is we won't let that thing hurt you," Will said. He stroked her face, his eyes fiery. "We won't let it hurt you."
***
When Elena opened her eyes, it took her a moment to remember where she was. It wasn't Will's house. She remembered quickly enough. After what had happened with Harriet, they had gone to Xavier and Timothy's house. Their mate, Amelia, had taken the baby to go stay with a friend of hers who had two Bear mates, leaving the Wolves alone to strategize.
Elena got up. It had to be close to dusk, and she already heard Will and Lukas' voices just outside her room.
"So it's true," Will said, his voice heavy with regret. "The Geisterwolf is my ancestor and it chose Elena because she's my reluctant mate."
Elena flinched. She looked around for her clothes, which she had discarded when she went to bed.
"You can't blame yourself, man," Lukas said. "You didn't know. Although it is a little ironic."
"What is?"
Elena paused, wanting to know what Lukas was going to say.
"For a long time, I've had a lot of anger towards my father for leaving the pack in a mess for me to clean up. Part of the reason I wanted to bring you in was so that I didn't actually have to do anything. I wanted to be free to dote all my attention on Elena and love her the way my father never loved my mother."
Will chuckled at that. "I wouldn't hold your breath on that on, Lukas. I've never had to do anything in my life. The old Alphas are right. I'm a screw-up."
"Come off it. You single-handedly made your pack the wealthiest in the area."
"A fluke."
Elena crept to the door and put her hand on the handle, but didn't open it. Not yet, at least. The conversation she was overhearing was just too tantalizing to interrupt, even though she knew that it was rude to eavesdrop. Lukas had just said that he wanted to love her–but didn't that go against everything he had told her already? That he didn't want her for a mate?
"My parents doted on me as though I was the king. I had no experience being an Alpha when they died. I've never been held accountable by anybody before, Lukas. And Elena… I realize now what I was doing with Catherine and Harriet was a desperate attempt to fill the hole in my life that was meant for my mate. I've never felt this way before. It's like… it's like she's the most perfect thing that has ever happened to me."
"I know the feeling. I've loved her before we met, and when I heard that she didn't want to be my mate… I guess I panicked."
Warmth flowed into Elena's chest. It filled to bursting and she pressed a hand over her mouth to smother the giggle that rose up in her. They loved her. Despite everything, they loved her. It was a feeling that she hadn't been expecting. At that moment, she wanted them more than anything. But it was almost dusk–they didn't have time before the Ghost Alpha attacked again.
"As soon as you explain that to her, she'll understand," Will said. "Me, though… I don't know how she can ever forgive me for the way I treated Catherine and Harriet. I messed things up so bad. I don't know if I'm ever going to be happy."
Elena flung open the door. Will and Lukas stood in the hall, clothed for once, and both jumped when she stepped out of the room. Her heart pounded as she looked from one to the other. "First off, did you two know I was awake before you started revealing your souls to each other?"
Both Alphas stared at her in shock, as though they had never seen her before. Elena grinned–it was answer enough. She took their hands in her own and remained grinning broadly at them, though she didn't know what to say. What did one say when one overheard the men that she thought were protecting her out of a sense of duty, maybe with a little lust on the side, say that they actually cared for her?
"It's true, isn't it?" she asked. "Both of you actually love me. This isn't just some sort of Alpha thing or because of the Geisterwolf. Even if we weren't in this messed up situation, you'd still love me."
Lukas nodded. "I
do. I love you. I don't expect you to feel the same way—"
Elena cut him off with a kiss. Her body pulled towards him, a throaty moan escaping. As soon as she was done with Lukas, she turned to Will and gave him the same kiss. Her eyes slid shut as both Alphas pressed their bodies against her.
"I do," she whispered. "I love you. Both of you. And after this is over, I will gladly be your Alpha female."
Chapter Nine – Lukas
The ceremony had to be performed with only the three of them present. Any others that were included would only lend strength to the Geisterwolf. Lukas wished that they could have the strength of the packs and other Alphas backing them up, but the fact was that it had to be just him, Will and Elena. For all the times that they spent protecting her with the help of other Wolves, in the end, it was down to Will and Lukas to finish this and stop the Ghost Wolf from ever coming back.
The site for the ceremony was remote, on the top of a mountain that overlooked both the Cedar Grove and River Basin packlands. Lukas' hand shook as he lit the various candles set up in a circle. When he glanced at Will, he saw that the other Alpha was fingering his lighter and wondered if he was wishing he could smoke. He hadn't since Harriet's death. Lukas had even seen him throw out all his cigarettes.
"The full moon is already in the sky," Elena said.
Lukas nodded. "The Geisterwolf will be here as soon as the sun goes down. But we're ready."
"Good. Because if you die protecting me… well, I won't ever talk to you again. That goes for you as well, Will."
The other Alpha managed a small smile, but it faded quickly. And no wonder. The outcome of tonight could be dire for all of them. It was only their strength that stood between Elena and the Geisterwolf's plans for her. And if they failed?
They couldn't fail.
"Are you ready?" Will asked Elena, pacing around the circle of candles.
"Yes."
Lukas knelt in the candles with her, his heart hammering. The last red clouds from the setting sun were turning to a dusky purple, and he took a deep breath. Elena's eyes were wide as a howl pierced through the air. Will growled and Shifted, the creamy Wolf he was huge and intimidating in the night. Lukas did his best to ignore him, and the pale shadow just beyond the other Alpha as the Geisterwolf began to coalesce.
