Shadow Of A Mate

by SA Welsh

  Opening his eyes was harder than it should have been and he knew his body was still not wholly his own. The terrible sucking, draining had stopped, but there was a pressing need telling him that something needed to be done.

  He looked to the side and saw a window that led out on to the vast grounds of the pack ground. Knowledge in his head was fuzzy, but absolute. He knew he was home, safe and his pack would protect him.

  There was something out there.

  Something dark and treacherous growing in the ground. The trees that he knew should be green and luscious were brown and dead. There was a sickness to it that clawed at his throat and his heart.

  The forest was dying. He needed to get outside quickly.

  Hands pulled at him, trying to drag him back to the bed and he heard his name being called desperately, but there was no time to explain. He had to return the power to the earth, to heal it from the damage and taint the dark magic had done to it. He could hear it calling out to him.

  The lynx inside him hissed in urgency.

  Jay ripped himself away from his pack and smashed through the window.

  Screams and roars erupted around him as he continued forward.

  Even the alpha voice that should have stopped him merely passed over him like water over a rock. He stared down at his bleeding arms and hands and watched the thin rivers of crimson run freely over his skin and sink into the thirsty ground below.

  Miraculously, where the drops fell, the crisp, dead remains of grass bloomed again with richness and life. And it spread like a ripple on a pond’s surface. Just a few drops were healing his home.

  The world stilled as one would draw in and hold a breath. That was when he understood. Through his blood he could cure the land of the contamination of Katrianna’s dirty stolen magic. He plunged his hands deep into the earth and let the power take him.

  This time only roars and howls called out around him as people finally began to understand. Together they stood as one. One pack. One power to heal the land.

  The symbol Katrianna had carved into his flesh burned away under the onslaught of pure primal, blessed power. The light restored his bones and skin, making them strong again and without the mark of evil.

  He wanted everyone to bask in the beauty and power of the forest breathing once more so he threw his head back and screamed a roar that would call his pack to him. He called to lions, leopards, jaguars, cougars, pumas, wolves, jackals, bears and everything in between so he could share the goodness.

  Using the ties that lay inside the mate bond, Jay called them all and soon shifters and wild animals alike crept from the forest and into the light. It spread to them and he heard them gasp. Some tried to run, but the power found them and eased their fear when they felt it was nothing harmful.

  Shifters they had rescued crawled and dragged themselves outside, he could hear them coming over the glass and ground behind him. Jay felt the earth’s natural power pulse and race over them. It healed them and he realised the earth was giving back to them. The land healed them as he had healed it.

  As suddenly as it had begun, everything ceased, pausing in a perfect moment.

  At least...almost perfect.

  Jay came back to himself as the power and adrenaline settled and he looked around for Kyle, though he knew his mate wasn’t here. Kyle had gone to slay his demons and Jay would be here when he returned. And when he did come home to him, Jay knew he was finally strong enough and worthy enough to be a proper alpha mate.

  Whatever this power brought them and the pack, Jay knew they’d stand to face it head on as equals this time.

  * * * *

  Kyle heard people shouting above him and tried to fight his way out of the confusing metal prison he found himself in. Everything was in high contrast as he forced his eyes to open. He could smell and hear even the slightest thing, down to the single green leaf in the whole jungle break off the black tree and flutter to the ground in great swirling sways.

  In slow motion, Kyle shook his head in attempts to clear away the fuzziness clouding his mind. When he couldn’t, he realised his jaguar had taken over. This wasn’t a normal shift, he wasn’t in control. His beast was.

  Something far away from here, something powerful and good called him home and made him want to obey.

  “It’s Jay. He’s alive and doing some freaky shit,” said a familiar voice.

  “I can’t think of anything, but getting to him. We need to leave. Now. You grab Logan, we’ll take Kyle. The sooner we get home the sooner Jay can try and talk some sense in to Kyle. If it isn’t one of them sacrificing themselves it’s the other. Our jobs are hard enough as it is.” The second voice was slightly deeper and closer than the first.

  Another voice came from beside him, this one gruffer and angry. “He’s calling shifters to him again. Someone remind me to tell that boy not to do that. It’s dangerous for someone as untrained as Jay.”

  Jay.

  He knew that name. Jay. Jay was his. His mate.

  His mate was calling for him.

  Kyle didn’t wait another second, he hauled himself up on to his paws and forced them to move. Putting one paw in front of the other he kept moving, listening all the time for that mesmeric voice.

  * * * *

  Jay waited at the window for hours, waiting, watching and thinking about what his friends had said when they had contacted him from the plane. He’d been so confused about everything he hadn’t even asked what the hell they were doing on a plane. Or where they got one in the first place.

  Mack had called to tell him that they were heading home and that was great news. The not so great news was that Kyle had gone feral. They’d told him that Katrianna had tried to kill Kyle and that Logan had taken the hit instead.

  Hearing that Kyle had then thrown himself at Katrianna and somehow overloaded her with power so that she literally exploded was incomprehensible.

  When he’d asked again where Kyle was, they’d gotten quiet and admitted that they didn’t know. Kyle had been blasted by the power as well as Katrianna and his jaguar took over.

  When Jay had called the shifters of the pack to him it turned out that Kyle and the others had felt it, too. While the betas had just been drawn to come home, Kyle in his jaguar form had taken off.

  And Kyle was too damn fast to be caught if he didn’t want to be.

  Mind fuck and FUBAR didn’t even begin to cover what he’d heard and his mind was still trying to process it.

  The sound of a truck pulling up the drive drew him out of his thoughts and he jerked his head to look through the glass in time to see Tryst and Mack getting out and Rogo carrying Logan in wolf form while Merrick stood off to one side looking at the lion carefully.

  Damn. He’d hoped Logan might have awakened or at least shifted back during the journey home.

  When the betas entered the porch area and were out of sight, Jay leaped out of the comfy armchair and ran across the large upstairs library and out into the foyer. Tryst and Mack were just coming through the door and being greeted by Mam and Papa, but Jay didn’t stop.

  He ran at them and luckily Tryst saw him coming because otherwise Jay might have ended up on the floor instead of wrapped up in a big hug between the two betas.

  “Are you guys okay?”

  Mam, Papa and Rogo took Logan away. They’d prepared one of the downstairs rooms with French windows accessing the grounds for his recovery in case his wolf side needed to be closer to the forest outside.

  Pressing his face into Tryst’s shoulder, he clutched Mack and Tryst tighter, one arm around each of them. Apart from Kyle they were the only true friends he’d ever had and the thought of losing them was painful.

  From the way they held him and took deep breaths of his scent, he knew this trip had been hard on them and they were glad to be home. They would also be just as worried about Kyle as he was.

  “We’re good, Jay. Anything from Kyle?”

  His good mood plateaued. “No, nothing.”

  �
�He’ll be fine,” Mack assured him and hugged him tighter for a second before letting him go and stepping back. Shifters were fine with touching for comfort, but Jay knew Kyle would get grumpy if he scented anyone else on Jay. And he knew Mack and Tryst knew that, too.

  “Your mate will come home soon. His jaguar is running for him and keeping him away from you until whatever power he has left settles,” Merrick said from a few feet away from them.

  Jay was about to reach out and offer Merrick a hug and tell the man he was glad he hadn’t been hurt when Merrick opened his mouth again. He should have known his uncle wouldn’t be able to stop talking before he pissed someone off.

  “Either that or the energy will overload again and he’ll go pop.” Merrick smacked his lips for the sound effect, opened a closed fist and fluttered his fingers.

  That was enough. His patience snapped and he met Merrick eye to eye, ignoring the sudden tension in the betas. “Can you pick between asshole and caring uncle please? The back and forth makes my head hurt.”

  Merrick startled and looked at him with wide eyes for a moment. “I’ll do my best. You wouldn’t have been bold enough to speak up like that before. What have you been doing?” There was genuine interest in his tone. Which is why Jay answered honestly whereas he had avoided answering everyone else who had asked him.

  “I’ve been with my grandmother and mother and I’ve learned some new tricks,” he said, letting his newfound power and control shine in his eyes. He enjoyed seeing Merrick blanch and the man’s eyes widen.

  No one moved or said anything for a long, tense minute.

  Then Merrick surprised them all by laughing deeply. “I did wonder whether there was anything of my brother in you. But that smile right there with an edge of threat? That was all Devlin,” Merrick commented once he’d finished laughing.

  “Thank you for saying that.” If Merrick could concede to sort of apologising then Jay could compromise and cut him some slack. “I’d like to hear more about my dad, if you feel like sharing some memories.”

  “I’d like that.” Merrick sounded sincere and everyone relaxed.

  “Well, it seems like you’ve been holding out on us, Jay,” Mam said in that way she had of being delightful, scary and loving at the same time. He hadn’t noticed the parents or Rogo returning.

  He ducked his head guiltily. “I wasn’t sure everyone would understand.”

  Mack threw a heavy arm over his shoulder. “Nah, we already know you’re weird. Talking to people in the great beyond, having a ghost cat and shooting lightning at people trying to feel up your mate is only part of your charm.”

  “Let’s not forget how he healed the forest and all the rescued shifters after waking up after what must have been only minutes after Kyle killed Katrianna,” Papa added, chuckling when Jay shot him a pointed look before he realised he was glaring at his alpha and blushed.

  Tryst and Mack gawped at him, Rogo smiled as if pleased and Merrick actually puffed out his chest a little like a proud uncle. “Yeah, you’re definitely Devlin’s boy.”

  * * *

  Kyle stopped for a drink from a fast moving river, taking the few minutes to rest before he started off again. His paws could use the break. The current wasn’t too strong by the bank so he eased down into the water, sighing when the coolness soothed his sore muscles and paws.

  He could still feel Jay pulling at him from the other side of the mate bond.

  If he just shifted and called Mack or Tryst they’d come and pick him up. They must be worried sick about him and he was sorry about that, but he needed to do this his way. The alpha energy had been all used up when he’d forced it into Katrianna. However, when she’d been consumed by it, all of that power had rebounded back to him.

  Right now the power was manageable and he’d not had any violent urges to dominate or be worshipped. He was taking that as a good sign.

  Just a little more time and then he’d know for sure whether he was safe to be around and no longer a ticking time bomb. In the meantime he was running home and letting the bond with Jay guide him.

  A tasty scent drifted over to him on the wind and his cat chuffed softly with excitement. Prey.

  Even thinking about food made his stomach growl with hunger. It had been so long since he’d eaten. Looking down into the water, he saw his thinner body reflected back at him and knew he’d need to eat if he wanted to keep up this pace.

  Kyle took off in the direction of the deer.

  * * * *

  It had been three days, three very long days and nights since the others had returned. Tryst and Mack stayed with him in the nights and they all curled up together in their cat skins and tried to sleep.

  More often than not they just stayed awake worrying and cleaning. Logan still hadn’t woken up so the three of them were splitting their time between keeping an eye on Merrick and sitting with Logan. Jay had at least one of the betas with him at all times.

  Now they were sitting down to dinner with Mam, Papa, Merrick, Kane, Nikko and the other betas. It was all very civilised for the moment. The food was good and everyone was still on their best behaviour. Even Merrick had cooled it with the smartass comments. At least a little. The betas caught the brunt of it.

  Jay was hoping for progress, not a miracle.

  Since his little commune with nature, both of Arthwr’s betas had become wary of him, but it was Damian that worried him. Damian watched him when he thought the others didn’t notice. It was beginning to creep him out and he was going to talk to Papa about it.

  Tryst and Mack told him it was because Damian was scared and wanted to protect his alpha. Cash, if anything was actually acting warmer toward him, helping him go through the library of old books Papa had procured since finding out about Jays lineage and had stored in the enormous lower lever of the house below the ground. He’d found quite a few things relating to earth magic and it made for interesting reading.

  “So how is school, little brother?” Every time Jay called Kane that, the little puma beamed. Kane lit up and started telling them about his first day. “It’s hard, I like art, but I don’t read good—”

  The double doors crashed open and one flew completely off its hinges, falling to the floor with a great clatter. Betas Cash and Damian rushed to grab whoever had smashed into the room, but Jay recognised the scent of his mate instantly and shot his hand out to stop them.

  Beta Damian halted immediately and skidded to a stop, leaning so far back he nearly toppled over to avoid touching Jay.

  The black-furred figure stumbled closer and changed into the two-legged, tall, muscular body he’d been yearning for since he had woken up.

  Kyle collapsed to his knees at Jay’s feet, dirty and scraped up and simply stared at him for a moment with wild eyes. Their betas tried to come forward and help, but Jay waved them off. This wasn’t a moment for anyone else to witness.

  “Jay,” Kyle whimpered with a cracked voice as if his throat was sore.

  “Ky,” he said warmly.

  That was all it took for Kyle to break and leap at him. Jay had dreamed of his and Kyle’s reunion so many times since the others had returned. In his dreams, they had ripped each other’s clothes off, chased each other through the forests, cried in relief and even had an argument over who was the stupidest. He for sacrificing himself of Nikko or Kyle for going after a witch.

  Not once had he thought that Kyle would cling to him with arms around his waist and face pressed into his stomach, crying and shaking. “Shhh. It’s okay. It’s okay, love.”

  He heard the others quietly leave the room, but he ignored them and continued stroking Kyle’s damp hair and whispering over and over again. “I’m safe. You’re safe. We’re home.”

  Chapter Ten

  “I’m getting fucking tired of waking up like this,” Kyle groaned.

  “Mind your language around our new little brother,” Jay chided.

  Unable to believe his ears after hearing Jay call out to him over and over in the last few
days, but never being there when he opened his eyes, Kyle unlocked the mate bond and sent out feelings through the connection.

  Power and warmth flared back at him through the mate bond. It was the only warning he had before Jay lit into him.

  “You could have died!”

  “I know,” Kyle admitted, seeing no point in trying to lie since Jay would be able to scent the deception.

  Truthfully, he was more interested in seeing more skin. He nosed the bottom of Jay’s t-shirt up until it revealed Jays flat stomach and almost hairless chest. Where before Kyle remembered Jay’s body as too thin with bones sticking out there was now smooth, healthy flesh that he couldn’t wait to sink his teeth into. This new magic in his mate had made him stronger.

  It was incredibly arousing.

  “I never wanted you to die for me. I want you to live for me and fight to come back to me.”

  “Okay,” he agreed as he placed a kiss above Jay’s belly button and not really listening now that he could touch and taste Jay’s skin. His cock lengthened and filled as he pressed up against his mate.

  “Umm, Kyle? You might want to open those pretty eyes because we’re not alone here.”

  That had him freezing as if a bucket of ice water had been thrown over him. All the blood that had rushed south reversed course and heated his face.

  “I haven’t seen him this red since you asked them about their shower bench,” his father said dryly.

  “Oh God.” He hoped like hell they weren’t getting an eyeful. A meteor would be great about now, too. He snaked a hand down and found the duvet was still at hip level so everything vital was covered. Shifters may not be shy about nudity, but being hard as stone in front of his parents was just nasty.

  “Come on it’s not that bad,” Jay cooed before smacking his ass and scrambling out of the bed before Kyle could get him back. His mate had gotten faster.

  “Are you my brother now?”