by SJ Himes
“We will deal with the hybrid later,” Caius interrupted again. Ghost took the hint and backed away before he did something rash. His Goddess was still whispering quietly to him, and he knew that his part in all this had something to do with the poor creature created by the monster masquerading as a man. Caius stood, drawing everyone’s attention. He addressed the human, his tone dark and just as threatening as Kane’s. “The wolves that Remus has now. Why did he keep them? What does he want with them?”
No one looked at Gabe where he stood in the doorway. Ghost knew that Caius referred to Gabe’s family. Half of his family including his father and his uncles were still missing.
“Roman identifies…or he did, since he’s dead now…specific families with a predominant strain for alphas with what you call the Voice. The wolves Remus kept were all especially dominant and showed a predisposition to having some form of the Voice. They were not near their clan leader and operated independently in that area of Worcester. Made them easier to take.” Gabe shifted on his feet, and Michael put a calming hand on his shoulder, keeping him still. The doctor gulped, but continued. “Part of the payment for Roman’s participation was that he wanted stronger alpha abilities, including the Voice. He called one of those abilities the ‘gift of command’ and said only the strongest alphas had it in abundance. We even spent a great deal of time looking for werewolves he called Speakers, but Remus was never able to find any in a vulnerable enough position to capture. Many of them were too strong to attempt to take without being noticed, or were in too close proximity to clan leaders to capture.”
Dr. Harmon seemed to be alternating between absolute terror and a remote sense of scientific curiosity. He apparently had no trouble disclosing the atrocities that Roman and Remus planned to commit in the pursuit of power. It was as if the human doctor was proud of what he was a part of and what he had done, and was only concerned with surviving the immediate moment. Ghost was inclined to believe that the human was only that in flesh and form and there was nothing humane in his soul whatsoever.
“Has there been any success in taking gifts from one wolf and giving them to another?” Kane addressed the doctor, voice sharp.
“No, not yet. Against all scientific processes and logic, I have been unsuccessful in giving shamanic gifts to alphas or increasing an alpha’s own gifts. I would say the process has been cursed if I believed in that superstitious nonsense.” The doctor sneered, tugging on his dirty shirt sleeves. An angry murmur whispered in Ghost’s mind, and he realized that the failures Remus and Harmon encountered might not have been due to faulty science but the interference of the Great Mother. “In repeated attempts to see what genes could be turned off or activated, cloning has been tried on several different wolves and family lines with predominant traits that Remus and Roman wanted. Repeated failures in this avenue of thought were not enough to deter Remus in his plans—Remus wanted shamanic powers and longevity for himself. Roman wanted stronger alpha abilities. And the government investors wanted super soldiers.”
“You’re cloning wolfkin?” Kane demanded, infuriated and incredulous.
“I managed to begin the gestation process on a clone before I left and you captured me,” Dr. Harmon said carefully, and he held his hands up, palms out. “It could be dead by now, like every other attempt I’ve made.”
“By the Goddess,” Burke swore softly, shaking his head. Ghost echoed that sentiment.
“How did we never notice these machinations with the human governments? Don’t we have established contacts to prevent just the sort of thing?” Kane addressed Caius, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring. Caius quirked an eyebrow at his heir’s attitude but did not address it.
“We do and that’s a matter for another time. Right now, we need to stop Remus. We need to free the wolves that he has and destroy everything. All his labs need to be burned to the ground and all his information destroyed. This cannot continue. This must be stopped, and stopped with such finality that any attempts to do this again will be over before they start. A message must be sent to human governments that we will not stand idly by while our people are killed and experimented upon.” Caius declared, voice rising enough that everyone, even those in the hall, could not mistake his determination.
Caius opened a drawer in the desk, pulling out a notepad and pen. He strode over to the doctor, who shrank back, cowering on the stool. “Look at me, human.”
Caius’ growl was deep and threatening and the human was incapable of disobeying. He lifted his eyes to Caius, who held out the paper and pen. “Write down every single lab you have ever been to. Every single building, warehouse, home, apartment, parking lot! I do not care what these places are or why you were there, but everything that has a connection to my people, to Simon Remus, that you have been to or even suspect of existing, you will disclose it. Do this, and you live another day.”
The doctor took the pad and pen with cautious motions and a short nod. “OK…yes.”
“Kane, with me,” Caius ordered, and Kane nodded. “Burke, don’t take your eyes off him.”
Kane followed Caius as he left Andromeda’s study. Burke loomed over the human, and Ghost shot out into the hall after his mate and his grandfather. Those in the hall either scattered or moved to the side, letting the clan leader and heir pass. Ghost dodged around wolfkin, dogging Kane’s heels into the living room.
Caius went to the fireplace, staring down at the flames. Ghost took a seat on the couch not far from where Kane stood, arms crossed, his mate watching Caius.
“Simon Remus is far more widely known than his brother ever was,” Caius said, rubbing his chin before turning his back to the low flames in the hearth. Caius paused for a second when he saw Ghost, then with a tiny, wry smile, continued, addressing Kane. “We were able to kill and dispose of Sebastien Remus easily. Fifteen years have nearly passed since then, with social media and technology making it harder for a rich man to disappear without a reaction. Simon is a popular man in Augusta. He dies, it will get attention.”
“We can stage his death like we did his brother’s,” Kane mused, eyes distant as if remembering. This was new to Ghost—he was aware that the first Remus brother was dead and that Caius killed him, but he didn’t know any details. “A car accident is the easiest.”
“When we find him—and we will—save him for me,” Caius said, and an icy chill ran down Ghost’s back. “That bastard has to pay for what he’s done.”
“Yes, Sir,” Kane agreed.
This was a new dynamic Ghost wasn’t accustomed to. Seeing his mate defer to another was…odd. The wilder part of Ghost knew Kane and Caius were alphas, dominant—they were in charge. Yet that sense also told him that Kane was…more. Caius was formidable, and if Kane wasn’t in the room, he would be the strongest, most dominant wolfkin Ghost had ever come across. Kane was stronger, more powerful than Caius. His presence took up more room, more of the focus and awareness of the wolfkin around them. And yet Kane made no move to depose Caius and take over Black Pine. He knew that such ambition was not in Kane’s nature—he had no desire for authority and rank. It was only through Kane’s reluctance to lead that Caius remained clan leader.
There was a soft cough, and they all turned to the wolfkin standing hesitantly in the doorway. Michael held the notepad, and entered the living room a few paces, holding it out to Kane.
“The human doctor finished the list. Andromeda was…offended by the stench, so she ordered Speaker Burke to have the human cleaned up. Burke is taking care of that now. He’s under sufficient guard—Burke and the young alpha named Gabe have it in hand,” Michael said, rubbing his palms down his thighs as he spoke.
Kane took the list and went to Caius, the two alphas reading through the list, which looked to be a few pages long. Ghost patted the couch next to him, and Michael gave a start but walked over. He sat, hesitant, and Ghost grabbed his elbow and tugged him down onto the cushion next to his.
Michael kept one eye on Kane, as if expecting a negative reaction from the alpha. Ghost rolled his eyes, a response he’d picked up from the youngsters in Andromeda’s family pack. All Kane did was offer a sharp glance to the older shaman and went back to his discussion with Caius.
Ghost leaned on Michael’s shoulder and he waited, watching his mate and his grandfather as they discussed options for searching the locations on the doctor’s list. The alphas were quiet, sentences half-formed—they were speaking to each other mind to mind, as much as they were with words, and Ghost was sure they hadn’t even noticed.
“There’s over thirty locations on this list. Half of them are at science labs on college campuses here in Maine and in Massachusetts. Many of these places are in Augusta and Boston. Colleges are still in session; spring break isn’t until the second week of March. If we’re going to search these locations, we need to choose a time when there aren’t as many humans around. Spring break is in two weeks,” Kane said aloud. “I can send scouts to each of these locations, but I’ll need more Black Pine wolves and a base closer to many of these locations. Red Fern is not trained or equipped to handle surveillance or investigating.”
“Back to Augusta?” Caius mused, eyes distant. Kane nodded, and Caius took the notepad, ripping off the top few pages and folding the list into his pocket. “Very well. We’re going home. Organize your team. We leave for Augusta in the morning.”
Caius strode from the living room, and Ghost heard him call Andromeda’s name.
“Home?” Ghost asked, quiet, feeling suddenly worried. Kane came to stand over him where he sat beside Michael, and held out a hand, helping him to his feet and into his arms.
“Yes, home.” Kane leaned down, kissing him, a chaste press of lips that made him sigh and lean on his broad chest.
“I…” Ghost nuzzled into Kane’s chest, breathing in a deep lungful of his alpha’s scent. It reassured him, settled his nerves. “I only know this place as home.”
“It’ll be alright,” Kane whispered, hugging him. Ghost hoped Kane was right. He’d already lost one home with Cat and Glen…. “Wait! What about my humans?”
He tilted his head back enough to see Kane’s face. Kane was startled by his outburst, and Ghost could see and feel his mate thinking hard. “Let’s go see them now, little wolf.”
Goodbye
“Ghost? Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” Cat asked after she shut the door behind them, gesturing for them to take a seat.
The cabin smelled like soap and freshly-showered humans, his humans, and Ghost breathed in deep, appreciating the scents that once meant home to him. Cat’s red hair was damp and piled high on her head, and she looked worried for him despite her disheveled appearance.
“I am fine,” Ghost said with a smile. “Where’s Glen?”
“Getting dressed,” Cat replied. “He’ll be out in a minute.”
The silence that followed was awkward. He assumed that was what this sensation was—he didn’t usually care or notice when things got uncomfortable, but then, this was Cat. The closest person to a mother he’d known for the last fifteen years. Ghost fidgeted and looked to his mate to take over. Kane gave him a fond smile and led him over to the couch, pulling him down to take a seat next him. Cat followed, her green eyes darting between Ghost and Kane, as if she didn’t quite believe that everything was okay. Ghost found himself torn between his eagerness to take the next step towards finding justice for his people and his desire to stay in Baxter with his family, both human and wolf.
The bedroom door opened and Glen came out, hair still dripping, wetting the collar of his gray T-shirt. He saw them sitting on the couch and smiled wide. “Hey, good to see you both! Anything exciting happen since we saw Andromeda toss Julian out on his ass?”
Ghost had no idea what to say, opening his mouth but then closing it with a snap. He was too jumbled, too indecisive about what he wanted to do anything except sit there and frantically try to figure out how he was going to manage to say goodbye to the two people who raised him. Kane sensed his trouble, a large warm hand coming to rest on his shoulder. The reassuring weight settled some of his nerves, and Ghost took in a long, deep breath, trying to calm the rest.
“Sophia and Gerald have left Black Pine, and have joined Red Wraith.” Both Glen and Cat looked alarmed, and Kane shook his head with a smile. “No, it’s nothing bad. Royrick offered for them both as mates— and they accepted. Gerald needs a new start, someplace where he will never be known as only Caius’s son, and Sophia has loved Royrick for a long time. They worked out their issues; I can see all three of them being very happy.”
Cat sat on the coffee table, hands in her lap, while Glen came around and sat in a rickety wicker chair that creaked under his weight. Cat was curious, Ghost could tell by the gleam in her eyes and the way she leaned forward just the slightest amount. “Are triads common in your culture? Does it happen often? Have you come across many? Does it always happen so fast? Will the two of you want a third?”
“Cat! Boundaries, remember? Take a breath and pick one question,” Glen said with a chuckle.
Kane didn’t seem to mind at all. He wrapped an arm around Ghost, drawing him closer to his side. He put his head down on Kane’s shoulder, relaxing completely.
“Threesomes are common in casual arrangements. As something more formal like a mating, usually it’s an alpha with two beta females, each serving as alpha mate. Such arrangements are rare, and in some places, are frowned upon, but since Royrick is a clan leader, any blowback he might get will be minimal. Red Wraith is one of the more progressive clans in the Northeast,” Kane explained. “Things might be tense, especially since Gerald is male and Sophia has a well-known history with Royrick, but Royrick and Sophia are both strong enough to mitigate any issues. I think they’ll be happy after a brief adjustment period.”
“But so fast?” Cat asked, head tilting to the side.
“Not fast for us, not really. Our people tend to know whether we’re going to be compatible quickly—and the older we are when we mate, the better the matches. Sophia and Royrick have known each other for a long time, and Gerald fits them both. All three are a few hundred years or older. It’s a good match.”
Cat’s hands twitched, like she wanted to take notes. Glen frowned at Kane, and looked at Ghost. He could almost read his human alpha’s mind. “Kane and I are soulbonded—there will never be a need or room for a third. Their triad is a matter of choice—they have chosen to be together in such a way. Our pairing is Goddess-forged, and entirely different.”
“You didn’t have a choice? I thought wolfkin just moved fast compared to humans.” Glen frowned even harder, narrowing his eyes at Kane. His human alpha was no match for Kane, and seeing Glen get worked up made Ghost feel better about his choices. Glen would always be family. No matter where they were.
“I would have chosen this mating with Kane,” Ghost said, leaning forward, meeting Glen’s concerned gaze and holding it. “I love him. I’ve always loved him. Even when I forgot who I was, the impression Kane had made on me remained from our brief meeting when I was a cub. A soulbond is a blessing, not a trap.”
“Is that how you feel?” Glen demanded of Kane. “Would you have chosen Ghost if given the choice?”
“Yes,” Kane answered, without hesitation and with enough force Glen sat back in his seat, blinking. “I never could let go of the belief that Ghost was alive. He may have been a cub when last we met, but he left a lasting and permanent impression on my heart. Finding him now, a grown wolf, has been the greatest joy and gift I could ever receive, and I will be thankful forever that our Goddess joined us. I love him. She can bind us together, but She cannot create love. We came to love each other on our own.”
“Why would your Goddess join you?” Cat asked, confused. “If you were going to fall in love anyway, why do the soulbond thing?”
“I don’t know.” Kane answered. Ghost loo
ked up at his mate. “She has a plan. She never does anything without purpose. Maybe She knew we would need the protection of the soulbond to see us through. I am grateful for it—I don’t know if I would have the courage to claim Ghost as mine without it. Not if it meant his life would be in danger.”
“You would have,” Ghost murmured. “No one is braver than you. I might have needed to nudge you along if we didn’t have the soulbond, but us loving each other is as inevitable as the sunrise.”
Kane pressed a kiss to his forehead, and Ghost heard Cat give a happy sigh. Glen interrupted them with a discreet cough. They gave him their attention, and Glen shifted in the chair.
“I know you two survived the Tribunal and the clans acknowledged the soulbond, but that doesn’t erase the tension I sensed in those alphas before they left. I get that the shamans endorsed your union, and the tribunal accepted it, but that isn’t going to change what seems, to me, to be thousands of years’ worth of animosity and cultural programming that cast such unions as sacrilegious and against the law. Are you going to be in danger if you leave Caius’ territory? Are those alphas going to go home to their clans, and tell their people what happened, and then you’ll have to keep defending yourselves over and over?”
“If the shamans weren’t privy to the truth, I would say you have cause to be concerned, Glen.” Kane nodded to the human. “But the shamans who were here do know the truth, and despite their personal feelings, their calling will prevent them from lying or misleading their clans. Rumors and ill feelings will still happen, but the shamans can curtail the worst of it. We will be in more danger from those wolfkin who don’t yet know about us—though considering the nature of our people, nothing of this magnitude will remain secret for long. We all live long lives, and the older clan members know many wolves on almost every continent. I bet by the end of the week, most clans across the world will have heard some portion of what transpired here. By this summer’s gathering, almost every wolfkin will know.”
