by Anya Byrne
The moment Mathias ended the conversation, he started to pull his clothes on with a speed that Ward's human eye couldn't track. "I have to go," he explained.
"I know," Ward answered, curling into the heat of the blankets. "Is there anything I can do to help? Can I come?"
Mathias shook his head. "I'd love to have you with me, and I know Will would like it, but it's not a good idea. Andreas isn't in the best state of mind, and having someone who's not a part of the pack there would make things worse. I'm told that when Gavin gave birth to Shannon, Saul had trouble letting Will tend to him, so it's going to be difficult enough for me."
Ward understood, but a small selfish part of him didn't like it. He'd gotten used to sleeping in Mathias's arms. While his lover still went to see Jessie regularly, they'd started to spend even more time together, and their relationship had thrived beyond anything Ward had expected.
Of course, he couldn't begrudge Mathias for rushing to Jessie's assistance. "Keep me posted, okay? Let me know how it goes."
"I will." Mathias finally finished dressing and stole a brief kiss. "Get some more rest. I'll check on the wards, and I'll be back before you know it."
Ward nodded and leaned back against the pillows as he watched Mathias go. He managed to stay motionless and look up at the ceiling until he heard the door to the house open and close. The revving of an engine finally made him shove off the blankets. Ward left the bed just in time to look out the window and see his mate's car disappear into the distance.
There was no way he could go back to sleep, so he returned to the room he'd sort of assigned as his painting studio. He'd moved a lot of things around since that first day, and he had more space now, which was good, since he had so many paintings of Mathias—as a wolf and as a man—that he should have felt embarrassed.
Today, he didn't paint Mathias, or at least, not a realistic portrait of him. He still had in mind the explosion of color he'd experienced when he'd bonded with his mate. He wanted to somehow convey it on the canvas, to express it and share it with the world. Or maybe not share it—it was too intimate and precious to him—but definitely immortalize it somehow.
Ward was a very visual person. For him, the world meant color, and losing Peter, being betrayed had drained him, had washed out the most vibrant shades. It was why he'd had so much trouble painting after that debacle. Now, though... Now he felt alive, more alive than ever before.
As he set to work, he thought back at all the emotions and sensations Mathias stirred inside him and just painted. It was challenging to grasp that elusive, surreal beauty of the mental link between him and his lover, but Ward enjoyed it. All the while, a part of him remained aware of that very same connection. He could sense Mathias calm focus and quiet wonder, and for that reason, he knew things were going well.
He wasn't sure how much time passed when he was startled out of his creative trance by the sound of something crashing. Shocked, he dropped the paintbrush and stared at the open doorway, waiting for any other signs that something was amiss.
A few moments later, he realized what he was doing and set his supplies aside. He'd lived in New York for too long to be anything but cautious when he heard a weird noise.
It was probably nothing. Mathias had set magical shields around the house, strong spells of protection that would keep intruders out. Even so, Ward was still careful as he slid out of the room. He had a tazer in his bedroom and a baseball bat downstairs, but he hadn't grabbed anything when he'd come to his work room, and easels didn't make for very good weapons.
The bedroom was very close, though, and the hallway was empty. Ward wondered if he was just being paranoid before deciding on his usual motto—better safe than sorry.
He was proven right instants after he entered the bedroom. Initially, he didn't see anything amiss. The bed was still messy, with the sheets still bearing the traces of spent passion. One of his shirts—torn by Mathias's claws—was still on the floor. But there was something distinctly different, and it sent shivers down Ward's spine. The drawer where he kept the tazer was open—and empty.
Ward had enough time to wonder who could have known about it, before a shock of pain rushed through him. The jolts of the tazer he himself had bought had him convulsing and falling to the floor. The last thing that occurred to him as he collapsed was that he trusted all the wrong people, and then the world went black.
****
Delivering the twins was everything the Lone Wolf Pack could have hoped for, and more. Mathias's past visits and his magic had ensured that Jessie was at his best, the risk of eclampsia no longer a danger. He had Will with him to perform the surgery, and while most of the pack was agitated, Jessie was largely just enthusiastic and more than eager to get the babies out already.
Will was the one to perform the incision. His hands didn't tremble even if it was his own son whose flesh he was cutting. He kept a tight lid on his emotions all throughout the surgery, ever the consummate professional. Gavin was also present, but he simply held Jessie's hand, providing support in Andreas's place. The enforcer had wanted to be there, but the smell of Jessie's blood would have agitated him too much and made the procedure difficult.
For his part, Mathias used his magic to make sure everything went smoothly and Jessie wasn't in any pain. Their efforts were rewarded when at last, the wailing of two babies filled the room. "A boy and a girl," Will said, his voice thick with tears. "They're beautiful."
As Mathias healed Jessie and made sure the birth wouldn't leave behind any debilitating injury, Will and Gavin cleaned the children and wrapped them both up in warm fluffy blankets. Jessie immediately extended his arms, demanding to hold the newborns. Mathias watched the scene with no little amount of fondness. "Looks like this is our cue to get the other daddy in here."
Gavin grinned and left the room, while Mathias and Will started gathering the supplies and cleaning up the area. They didn't quite manage to eliminate the scent of blood, but that was to be expected. An agitated Andreas burst through the door seconds later and made a beeline for Jessie.
"Look, Andreas," Jessie whispered reverently. "Look what we did. Aren't they just perfect?"
Mathias didn't wait to hear Andreas's reply. He stepped out into the corridor, knowing that he'd played his part and it was time for Jessie and Andreas to be alone with the new members of their family. Will must have had the same idea, because he followed Mathias.
"Thank you, Matt," he said with a smile. "I know it wouldn't have gone nearly as well without you here."
"It was my pleasure," Mathias replied. "Sharing this moment with you and Jessie has been special, and I'm grateful that you trusted me with that."
"What about you and Ward? Have you considered children?"
Mathias shrugged. "We'll see how it goes. You know that since I'm half-Sidhe, I'm nowhere near as fertile as a regular werewolf. It's probably for the best. I'm not sure Ward is quite ready for it, and I admit I didn't come here prepared for it. I have to talk to my grandmother and procure some contraceptives that work on us."
"That would actually be very useful. I know Saul's been concerned about getting Gavin pregnant again, especially since we're not 100 percent sure how the whole process works." Will hummed thoughtfully. "You think your grandmother could help?"
"Yes. The Folk have looked into ways to improve virility, and those studies eventually encompassed contraceptives too. In any case..."
He froze and trailed off when his bond with his mate—previously vibrating with the creative excitement he always felt when Ward was painting—was invaded by apprehension. His wards, always buzzing at the back of his mind, rippled with a weird, nauseating sensation.
"Matt?" Will asked. "What's wrong?"
"I'm not sure. Something's... not right with Ward. I need to go."
His friend nodded, eyes wide with concern and understanding. "Sure. I understand. Thanks and..."
Mathias didn't hear the rest of it. Pain shot over him, so intense it transcended the bond and it
felt like his own. He clutched his temple and cursed, almost bowling over. "Matt!" Will shouted, alarmed.
When Mathias opened his eyes, he could barely see his friend at all. He just knew one thing. "Ward is in danger."
He must have said that out loud, because he heard Will gasp. The sound came to him distantly, as if through a veil. He was already moving, rushing toward the car, his full focus on the man he loved.
Ward's consciousness was muted, which meant that the young human was most likely out cold. Just the thought of it and of the pain Ward had suffered made Mathias want to tear something apart. His claws left scratches in the paint of his car as he opened the door to the vehicle.
His fingers trembled as he reached for the keys in his pocket. In the end, he couldn't focus enough to find them. The wolf was too agitated, too angry and too hurt. Mathias tore his clothes off and allowed the change to flow over him, freeing his wounded beast, ready to track down the fool who'd dared to hurt his mate.
Voices called out to him as he took off running, but he ignored them. Technically speaking, the car would have been faster, but as a wolf, he could take paths and shortcuts that more than compensated for the difference. Then again, his anger and his urgency boosted him so much that he probably hit the speed similar to what his car could reach on these roads. It still took too long, and he still felt too slow, too foolish and lost.
He was not surprised to find Ward's house empty, but he couldn't help the howl of distress that escaped him. The traces of blood in the bedroom filled him with a frenzy that meant death for the culprits behind this treachery. And oh, what a treachery it was.
In a way, it made sense that someone close to Ward would be the guilty party behind the attack. Given all the years he'd lived, Mathias had his fair share of enemies, but they all knew better than to challenge him, especially with the influence his grandmother yielded. As such, the ambushers could only be someone from Ward's life, and the arrival of Peter, Vera and Teresa was no coincidence.
And yet... The magical shields should have protected Ward, but they hadn't. What in the world was going on? Could it be that the similarity in the energy of the kidnappers had fooled the spell? If so, Mathias would never be able to forgive himself for such an amateurish mistake.
That didn't mean Mathias didn't feel angry on Ward's behalf. He would track down his mate's kidnappers, and once he did so... Well, they would regret ever crossing Mathias's path.
****
When Ward stirred, the first thing he became aware of was the pounding in his skull. What in the world had he been doing the night before? The last time he'd felt so horrid was after he'd drunk his ass off the night Peter had told him about his intentions to marry Teresa.
But this was no hangover, just like he no longer felt any urge whatsoever to drink over Peter. Memories flashed back through Ward's mind's eye—being woken up by Mathias's cell phone, the impending birth of his great-uncle's grandson, painting, the tazer, and then... Being attacked. Fuck.
He tentatively tried to move, and his heart fell when he found himself completely immobilized. In fact, when his vision cleared, he realized that he was securely bound to a chair. Handcuffs bit into his wrists and harsh rope abraded his ankles. His kidnapper wasn't taking any chances.
A female voice startled him from his trance. "Ward? Oh, my God, you're awake! Are you okay?"
Ward turned to face the source of the relieved words, even if he didn't have to. "I've been better," he told his sister.
"This is all my fault," Teresa said, her voice trembling. She was tied down as well, her hands handcuffed to a pipe on the wall. "How did I not see what was happening?"
"To be perfectly honest, I still can't figure it out," Ward admitted.
There were very few people who knew about his tazer and who were familiar enough with his habits to find it in his new home—and Peter was one of them. Really, Ward should have been more cautious. Given Peter's recent attitude, he should have anticipated some sort of violent reaction. He'd been too focused on his relationship with Mathias to care. Clearly, that had been a huge mistake.
"What does Peter even stand to gain from all of this?" he asked, the question directed more to himself than to Teresa. "I mean, I get why he might want to hurt me, but you're his wife and you're going to have his baby."
Teresa's eyes widened. "You think Peter.... No, Ward. It's not him." A tear slid down her cheek as their gazes met. "I think... I think he's dead. She shot him."
"She?" Ward asked numbly.
"That would be me," Vera said from the doorway.
Ward had never thought something could shock him beyond learning that werewolves existed. In the past few weeks, his life had changed so drastically he'd believed he'd reached a point where he could take most everything in stride.
This was not something he had expected, or that he could understand in any possible way. "V-Vera? What? What are you doing?"
Vera smiled and stepped into the room. For the first time, Ward realized her clothes were covered in blood. "Wow, I really love that expression on your face. Dismayed heartbreak always did look best on you."
"I... I don't understand."
Vera stepped closer to him, completely ignoring Teresa's choked whimper. She didn't immediately reply, not until she reached Ward's side. "Of course you don't," Vera whispered against his cheek. His nostrils were invaded by her familiar perfume, made cloying and ghastly by the coppery scent of blood that mixed with it. "You never did. No matter how hard I tried, you didn't see me."
She gripped his chin, her fingernails digging hard into his skin. "You saw everyone else except me."
"Vera, I don't understand," Ward couldn't help but blurt out. "What did I do?"
"You didn't love me." Her hold on him turned gentle, a mockery of a caress that made his skin crawl. "But we can fix that, can't we?"
"Of course I love you," Ward blurted out, torn between shock, befuddlement and complete and utter panic. "You're like my sister."
"I don't want to be," came the reply.
Ward stared at her, wondering when things had gone so wrong for him. Was Vera... in love with him? That wasn't possible, right? Yes, they were close, and had been for a long time. They'd all grown up together—Ward, Vera and Teresa—and that had fostered an affection between them that had never disappeared. Still, Vera hadn't reacted that well to news of Ward's homosexuality, and that had driven a wedge between them. Slowly, they'd managed to fix their relationship, but now Ward couldn't help but wonder what he'd ever done to earn this type of love from a woman he'd only ever seen as another sister.
His confusion must have shown, because she caressed his hair with that same surreal gentleness. "Don't worry about a thing. I see now that people will always keep us apart unless I take drastic measures. Once I handle that freak in your house, we'll be able to end all this."
"Vera, you can't be serious," Teresa piped up, panting. "You need to let us go. You've already hurt enough people, and you need help."
Vera snarled at her so-called best friend, and Ward could easily imagine her lashing out at Teresa. In Teresa's condition, that could have terrible consequences. He had no idea what Teresa thought she was doing by antagonizing Vera, but he needed to do something to distract their crazy kidnapper.
"Vera, wait," he called out softly. "Come closer."
She froze half-way to Teresa and turned toward him. "What is it?"
Ward struggled for something to say, something he could ask that wouldn't sound threatening. "I... I want to smell your perfume."
The smile she shot him was painfully familiar, and Ward hated it, because it was also a memory of a time when things had been better. "How can I say no to that?"
She hugged him, and Ward did his best to relax into the embrace. Even if she was obviously crazy, she wasn't stupid and there was still a hefty dose of doubt in her stance. He made a show of inhaling the scent of her hair, and it must have worked, because she released a sigh of contentment.
"Yo
u see? We can have this every day."
Ward didn't reply. He didn't think he could find a lie convincingly enough. Struggling for composure, he reminded himself Mathias wouldn't abandon him. Vera might be planning to hurt Ward's lover, but she didn't know Mathias was a werewolf. She couldn't possibly be prepared for that.
The sound of a ring tone snapped him out of his trance. Vera pulled away and retrieved her phone out of her pocket. She didn't pick up any call, instead skimming the screen with avid eyes. A message, then.
Her lips twisted into a smirk when she finally set the phone aside. "Show's about to start. I'll be back in a bit, Ward. Time to take care of your so-called mate."
Every muscle in Ward's body went rigid. Freak. Mate. Vera had used those words in reference to Mathias. Ward hadn't paid any attention to it the first time, but the mate thing was a little hard to ignore.
"What are you talking about, Vera? What is this?"
She smiled brightly. "Don't you know, Ward? I'm here to save you. Those evil creatures can't have you. You're mine, and I'll make that monster burn for daring to touch you. I'm told silver is particularly efficient in that regard."
Ward's vision went blurry. This wasn't possible. How could Vera know about werewolves? What made her so sure that she could get rid of Mathias? Who had sent her that message to begin with?
There was more to this than Vera's insane affection for him. In hindsight, it was obvious, because no ordinary human could have avoided Mathias's protective spells. Unfortunately, Ward didn't get the chance to dig deeper. Vera turned on her heel and stalked out of the room. The door closed behind her with striking finality, and Ward was left alone with Teresa and his glum thoughts.
"She's crazy," Teresa murmured. "She killed Peter. She's insane."
Ward ignored his sister. Dwelling on the same facts—no matter how shocking—wouldn't help them. "We have to get out of here. We have to get out of here now."
A wave of anger, terror and love flowed through him, coming through his connection with Mathias. Ward wished he had some way to give his mate the information he'd learned, but he didn't, so instead, he just willed Mathias to understand, to be cautious.
