by T. S. Ryder
"They say that Lukas' father was quite a gambler," Will said.
"And yours never took a mate," Lukas growled, temper flaring.
"And you always knew I was your mate?" Elena interrupted. Her foot tapped.
"Yes."
"And that's never bothered you?"
The question caught Lukas off guard. He had never questioned being bound to her. He'd been given pictures sent by her father over the years, which was one of the reasons why he was so shocked to hear she didn't know about their relationship. Was he supposed to be bothered by the fact that he had a beautiful mate? It bothered him that she hadn't known until he sent Alan for her, but not that they were mates.
"I would rather have a different mate, but you're the one that my father agreed on. We're already mates, if I took another one, I'd be stripped of my position."
Even as he was speaking, Lukas could have kicked himself. Of all the stupid things to say… He couldn’t have just said that he hadn't considered it? He couldn't have said that he was given pictures of her and never wanted anybody else? He couldn’t have said a million other things that didn't make it seem like she was the last choice he'd have?
It was too late now. Elena's expression, already somewhat guarded and jaded, closed off entirely. She opened her mouth, but before she could respond, Will had put his arms around her waist. He pulled her snug against him and grinned at her as though she was the only woman he had ever seen. Did he look at his other two women the same way?
He didn't deserve her.
"I'm sure Lukas doesn't mean that the way it sounds. But we have talked quite enough, don't you think? Before we can mate we have to find out if we're compatible."
Elena's eyes widened and Lukas could actually see the pulse in her neck flutter. She put her hands on Will's chest but didn't push him away. If anything, she seemed enthralled by him. Lukas growled low in his throat, unable to stand seeing his mate with another man like this. She opened her mouth, but before Will could kiss her, Lukas jumped forward. He put his hands on either side of her face, turning her to him.
He kissed her hard, pushing his arms between her and Will's bodies. Elena kissed him back, her hungry mouth surprising him. From the way she had been acting, and because she only found out that they were mates, he had expected her to be more reserved, at least at the beginning. But she kissed him with so much passion that he felt himself stirring in a way he hadn't ever experienced before. When Elena's eyes fluttered shut and she gave a slight moan, he forgot entirely about Will.
Until, that was, he realized that Will was kissing the back of Elena's neck.
Lukas jerked away from Elena. She leaned forward, trying to follow, but Will held her back. The other Alpha kissed her mouth like he was trying to eat her, and she moaned again. Lukas stepped back. Elena's hand fluttered in his direction; when it landed on his arm, she grasped him tightly.
Did she really want them both? From how she acted before, he never would have expected it.
Her eyes snapped open. She pushed Will away from her and struggled free of his grasp, shaking her head hard. "What are you doing?"
"The same thing you are." Will leaned forward again.
"No. No, I am not going to jump in bed with a couple of men I don't know! Or even a couple of men at all. That's just weird. Isn't it? Or is it common among Wolves?"
Both Alphas were silent. Lukas couldn’t help but feel pleased that Will looked so flustered–until he remembered that this was his idea. It was his responsibility to make it work between the three of them. And who knew, maybe after they were mated Will would have the decency to die and then—
A howl broke through the air.
The three of them turned towards the setting sun. A vague, misty shape slowly coalesced into the form of a massive Wolf. It shone with a bright white light, vivid blue eyes peering out of a snowy face. Its lips were pulled back into a vicious snarl. Another howl, and it lunged for Elena, mouth wide and teeth snapping.
Chapter Four – Will
The Geisterwolf.
Will froze, eyes wide as he stared at the massive creature. It couldn't be real. It just couldn’t. It was a myth. A legend. A fairy tale. The dead could not come back to life, and the only ghosts were regrets. And if it was really a vengeful spirit taken form, wouldn't it be all black and twisted, with bits of flesh rotting off it? Not the icy white Wolf he saw. The one that looked exactly as his father had, sleek coat, heavily muscled, blue eyes.
But it couldn't be real. It had to be a trick.
Then the creature howled, sending a thousand shard of ice down Will's spine, and it lunged. Right for Elena. She screamed, throwing her hands over her face, but Will was too frozen by shock to react. He didn't even realize that it was real and not some elaborate hallucination until the Geisterwolf's jaws had clamped over Elena's bicep and yanked her out of his arms.
"No!" Lukas leaped forward. He transformed in mid-air, his clothing bursting off his body. His mottled gray and brown fur stood on end as he charged the spectral Wolf.
Seeing the other Alpha in action spurred something in Will's chest. He shook off his bewilderment and ran forward. He felt his clothes strain shred as he transformed. The sleek creamy fur on his own body gleamed, stained red by the light of the dying sun. He was faster than Lukas, and they met the Geisterwolf as one.
The Wolf howled, dropping Elena, as both Alphas sank their teeth into him. Will jolted with shock at the pure iciness of the flesh he bit into. He growled and shook his head, trying to tear a chunk free, but the Geisterwolf seemed to melt out of his mouth like butter.
Another howl rang through the air. The Geisterwolf turned, snapping at Lukas. The smaller male was just able to dodge its jaws. Will bowled into the Geisterwolf's side, snapping and biting at its neck. The great white Wolf snarled, slapping at him with a paw. He lunged forward again, but as abruptly as it came, it disappeared. Will was left panting and shivering, staring into nothing. Had it all been a dream?
The smell of blood told him it wasn't.
He turned. Elena lay on the ground, one arm cradled against her chest, her face twisted with pain. Lukas was already kneeling beside her, urging her to her feet. She whimpered, clinging to the other Alpha.
Will did not transform as they made their way to Lukas' ramshackle house. He walked behind the other two, his ears rotating as he searched for any sound that might indicate the Geisterwolf might come back. But there was no more sign of it, and when Lukas and Elena disappeared into the house, he transformed and followed.
"What in the name of all that's holy was that?" Elena demanded as Lukas guided her to a couch that looked like it was from the sixties.
"The Geisterwolf," Lukas replied grimly.
"The what?"
"I don't know everything," the Cedar Grove Alpha said. "I'll grab the first aid kit and tell you about it."
Elena nodded, still shivering. Lukas disappeared into another room, and Will sat beside her, wanting to offer a little comfort. His mind churned as he considered what had happened–and what had almost happened. Out of all the Alphas in the world, and all their mates, the Geisterwolf had chosen Elena. Why? And why had it looked so much like his father?
"You could cover up you know," Elena muttered.
He jerked out of his revere and glanced at her. "What?"
"You're naked."
"So?"
Elena shifted uncomfortably. "Just cover up, will you?"
Will shrugged and pulled a pillow into his lap. Given what had happened, he didn't think now was the time for jokes or bragging. Humans weren't as comfortable with nudity as Shifters.
"So what was that thing?"
Lukas returned with a first aid kit and set about cleaning and binding Elena's wound. Will noticed that she didn't tell him to cover up. He would have mentioned it, too, but Lukas began talking first.
"The Geisterwolf. I was doubtful that it was real. Certainly didn't think that it would come after you."
"Back up." Elena winced a
nd held up her uninjured hand. "First things first. What is the Guy String Wolf thing?"
"It's a Germanic word. I'm not sure if humans have similar stories, but the story that I was told was that he was an Alpha long, long ago. He fell in love with a woman and took her as his mate, but she was in love with someone else. Because she couldn't be with the one she loved, she took her own life. They say this Alpha was driven mad by the loss. And ever since then, when Venus, Earth and Mars align, he comes back and chooses an Alpha's mate to attempt to bring back his own lost mate."
Elena closed her eyes. Her hands trembled, and she shook her head rapidly. "I'm not your mate. I don't want to be your mate. I'm only here because if I didn't, my father would lose the land he's mortgaged, and then he'd lose his business and be destitute."
Lukas flinched back from her, blood draining from his face.
"This is crazy. An ancient dead ghost comes back because of a planetary alignment and suddenly I'm going to be sacrificed to bring back a woman who didn't want to be with him in the first place." Elena sucked in a deep breath. "Not happening. How do we stop it?"
"I don't know off hand," Lukas said. "I'll phone Xavier to see what he says. You shouldn’t have left that meeting when you did." He shot a glare at Will. "If you hadn't, I wouldn't have had to leave so soon and I could have found out how to protect my mate."
Will growled, but Elena shook her head. "I'm not your mate."
"Maybe that's why the Geisterwolf chose you," Lukas said. His voice was heavily loaded with bitterness. "Because you were made to be my mate against your will. Just like his mate all those years ago."
Elena bit her lip at she looked at him, but didn't say anything. Lukas stared at her a moment, then stood and left the room, pulling his phone from his pocket. It left Elena and Will alone again, but he didn't know what to say. Not considering everything that had happened.
Lukas returned soon enough. He sat down beside Elena again. "The alignment will only last for about a month. The Geisterwolf can only attack at night, it will keep growing stronger every night. In order to drive it off for good, so it never comes back in the future, we have to wait for thirty-three days, and then perform a ceremony on the night when the Geisterwolf is at its strongest. We'll have to pledge our devotion to one another and share blood, and then I have to fight it off."
"You're supposed to fight it off?" Will grunted and shook his head. "How are you supposed to fight off something like that? You couldn't fight against a chicken. Everybody knows you are weak."
"What did you just say?" Lukas jumped to his feet. "I'm weak? I'll fight you right now!"
Elena pushed her way between them. "Save the testosterone. Am I the only one that is completely freaked out? It's nighttime. That giant wolf thing already attacked once. What's to stop it from attacking again? And this place is hardly Fort Knox. If I have my tools I could do a few things to make it more secure, but I am not sleeping tonight."
Lukas nodded, tearing his eyes away from Will. "I'll get your tools. I think it would be safer for you to stay inside."
"And I'll stay with her in case the Geisterwolf comes back," Will said, glaring at Lukas as he left. He fumbled in his pockets. He needed something to calm his nerves. A smoke was just the thing for it. But as soon as he pulled out a cigarette, Elena snatched it from him.
"Hey, I'm breathing here," she said.
"So?" Will reached for his cigarette back. "Give that back."
"Not around me. I don't want cancer from second-hand smoke, thank you very much. My mother died from lung cancer. You want to smoke, you can take it outside."
Will opened his mouth to remind her that a little second-hand smoke was nothing to worry about compared to the Geisterwolf coming after her, but stopped. So what if she wasn't his mate yet and Lukas was going to perform his little ceremony with her. It would be beneficial to the packs to combine River Basin and Cedar Grove, and she would be his mate. He didn't want to start off their relationship fighting.
And he'd enjoy putting a baby inside their shared mate before Lukas did. But for that, he had to be smoother. Yes, this had thrown him for a loop, but that didn't mean he should give up on what he wanted. He put his pack of cigarettes back in his pocket.
"Sorry. It's just nerves. I know it's a nasty habit, but Wolves don't suffer the ill effects. Guess I'm not used to having to worry about it."
Elena's expression softened. "Maybe I shouldn't have been so snappy. But it's a terrifying situation for me. And you heard Lukas. He doesn't want me for a mate any more than I want him. Will he really fight for me?"
He could have told her that yes, of course Lukas would fight for her. He could have told her that even if Lukas didn't have any strong feelings for her, he was an Alpha, and Alphas always put their mates first. But he didn't. He squeezed her hand. "I'll fight for you."
She smiled hesitantly, and he smiled back. Yes, this was what was for the best. But thank God he'd already called off things with Harriet and Catherine.
Chapter Five – Elena
The wall was perfectly even. Elena shifted her level to the next stud, nodding in satisfaction. She and Lukas had both moved into Will's house for the duration of this whole Geisterwolf Month, as she had taken to calling it, and the construction in the house was driving her crazy. It wasn't that it was badly built, just fairly old and in need of a few updates. Which was odd, considering Will was so rich. But apparently that was fairly recent, so maybe he just hadn't taken the time to get a new place yet.
Elena stepped back and admired her work. She was glad that Will had authorized her to do whatever she wanted with the house during the nights that he and Lukas were fighting off the Geisterwolf. Otherwise, she thought she might just go insane.
Drywalling and plastering was done. She wasn't sure what color Will had ultimately decided to paint it, but in the meantime, she could move to the next room.
A howl from outside the house had her running to the window. All around the house were dozens of Wolves, both from Will's and Lukas' packs. The Geisterwolf always followed the same routine every night. First, as soon as the sun set, it would appear just outside the house and go after Elena. Lukas and Will, together with a few Alphas from other packs, would drive it off. Sometimes it shook them of its trail and returned to the house, in which case the patrol would hold it off until morning.
As soon as the sun rose, the Geisterwolf disappeared. But in just a week that they had been following this routine for, Elena could see that it was a powerful creature. It took all the Wolves to protect her.
Every night when Lukas and Will disappeared into the darkness, chasing the glowing white specter, her heart nearly stopped. She told them she couldn't sleep because of the threat of the Geisterwolf, but the truth was that if she didn't keep herself busy, she would go mad with worry for them.
There was no sign of either the Ghost Wolf or her two Alphas–the, she reminded herself. Neither she nor Lukas had much of a choice in the matter (something that caused Elena's heart to twinge with a feeling that wasn't quite a pain and not quite despair, although it was close), but whether they could actually be 'real' mates was to be seen. It wasn't like he wasn't attractive, but she didn't want to be with somebody who didn't want to be with her.
And then there was Will.
Elena turned at the sound of footsteps and scowled when she saw the two Wolves who entered, both carrying a tray of food. One was blonde, the other a redhead. Will's old girlfriends.
"We thought you might want something to eat," the redhead said.
When Elena first found out about Catherine and Harriet, she'd nearly flipped her lid. In her rage, she told Will in no uncertain times that she wasn't going to be his mate, regardless of the politics or his insane amount of wealth, if he was going to have girlfriends on the side. He apparently broke up with them before that on account of her… But how long was that going to last?
"Thank you." Elena took the tray from Catherine. "Have you heard anything?"
Harriet
was silent, the way she always was around Elena, but Catherine shook her head. "Not yet. But they'll be back soon. It's almost morning."
Elena sighed. She really didn't want to like either of these two, but Catherine was so shy and sweet that she couldn’t help herself. Harriet on the other hand… Well, she didn't say what she thought, but Elena knew the blonde didn't like her. Although there was something very satisfying about seeing that both of them had the curvy, maybe a little too curvy, figure that she herself had. Will's professed attraction to her wasn't a farce.
Although why they had to stay with her at night, she didn't know.
"Elena, I just wanted you to know that I don't bear any ill-will towards you," Catherine said. "About Will, I mean. I'm glad he found a mate. I always knew he would never choose me."
Elena flinched. She opened her mouth to remind the Wolf that she wasn't Will's mate, but Harriet beat her to it.
"She hasn't accepted him as her mate yet, Catherine. Who knows, she could be using him like he was using us."
For some reason, that rankled Elena. Not the accusation that she was using Will, but that he was using the two females. She set the tray aside. "As if you weren't using him. You look at him like a piece of steak. You don't love him. I don't think you even like him. You just wanted him for his position."
"That's not true," Catherine protested.
"Not you, maybe, but definitely Harriet."
Catherine shook her head.
Harriet's eyes narrowed. "I served the Alpha as was my duty. If I thought that perhaps I might one day be Alpha Female—"
"I bet you were just waiting for the other Alphas to start really bringing the pressure down on him to mate before you threatened to leave him if he didn't. How long was it going to be before you forced Catherine out?"
"She would never do that!" Catherine cried. "You don't know us. I'm willing to overlook this because from what I've heard your father is horrid, but you have to right to talk to Harriet like this."
