by Maggie Walsh
“Holy fuck! So, you’re saying that the four of us will survive, because we were blessed with our true mates? But what about all the others? The ones who don’t find their true ones?” Bo asked.
Ridge and Caleb’s eyes filled with sadness and pain and Ridge softly said, “Then they will suffer the purge. Those paranormals who stand in human form when the Reckoning hits, will remain in human form for the rest of their days. They will no longer have their beasts or paranormal abilities including our advanced lifespan. They will age and die as humans. Those who are in their animal form when the purge comes, will remain in that form until they die, losing any humanity they once had. They will become the beasts they are. Those who have true evil within them will die instantly when the purge comes, human and paranormal alike.”
“Fuck,” Jag whispered in shock and horror, as all the ramifications of what Ridge was telling them ran through his head.
“Exactly. No one will be able to hide their true selves from the gods’ purge. Murderers, rapists, child molesters, serial killers, among the worst of life, but then there will be more. Some who think they are righteous and not evil, because they follow their gods, but spew hate, in the gods’ eyes are just as guilty and they will die. How many times have you seen people yelling about stopping hate or bullying or violence, but then you turn around and they are the most guilty of it?
“Look at what’s going on in this country alone right now. The people are allowing themselves to turn against their brothers and sisters, their friends and countrymen to become divided, just because they each believe in something different, then they lash out at one another for it instead of practicing what they preach when it comes to other things in the world, like acceptance and tolerance for one another's differences whatever they may be. One side screams and demands for fairness, equality, and tolerance to differences, like sexuality, race, and religion, but then fight against and scream louder when it’s time to extend that same tolerance to others for their differences, and why? For the simple fact that these people think differently than they do. It may not be hateful, or evil, just that they think differently on things in their lives and what goes on around them. Neither side is wrong and neither side is right. They’re just different. People have become so trained to just strike out and fight for what they deem is an injustice that they don’t take the time to step back and see what they are doing, which is exactly what they are accusing the other side of doing.
“The powder keg is growing and when the purge comes, these beings will be the most shocked to find that they will stand right alongside the racists, bigots, homophobes, and those spewing hate hiding behind what they claim is the god's words and wishes. Their hatred, anger, and unwillingness to extend what they demand for themselves of tolerance, kindness, understanding, and equality, will die for their hatred as well.”
“So what about the others? Our friends and families?” Bo asked.
Ridge looked at him with pain in his gaze. “If they do not find their true one by the time of the purge, then they will fall to its will.”
“No. What if Dell, Jude, Marlo, Alex and the others don’t find their true mates in time? You’re telling me that they will all die?” Bo asked, horrified.
“Not necessarily die. Some will I’m sure, but the ones who don’t have true evil within will be trapped in whatever form they stand in when the purge comes.”
“So, Dell, Blu, TJ, and whoever else, will be lost to us forever even if they don’t die, because they will be trapped in whatever form they are in,” Jag said as a statement not a question.
“Yes,” Ridge said simply.
“So, why don’t we warn them?” Bo asked.
“Even if we did there is nothing we can do to stop it. It is against the law of our gods anyway, so we can’t. That is the purpose of the blood promise you must make. If you are to tell anyone what we discussed here today, then your bond to your mate will be broken and you both will stand to face the purge and suffer whatever it hands you.”
“And everyone around the planet who has now been lucky enough to find their true mate has been told what you just told us? They all know, but are bound by the promise to keep it to themselves?” Jag asked.
“Yes. Each is told to help prepare us for when the time comes, so that in the aftermath we can survive,” Caleb replied.
Bo looked to Caleb, and asked, “And when did you find out? Have you always known?”
Caleb smiled as he shook his head. “No. Dell has known for many years as the next leader of our people. Father had to teach him and prepare him for when he took over, but I was not to be the next alpha, so I only found out after Ridge and I mated and he told me. Since then I have also been looking over the history books and marking down any signs, like the two of you finding each other.”
“Does this have anything to do with why your dad insisted no one tell you that you were actually a beta/gamma? Even though we all thought he should have,” Bo questioned.
Caleb smiled. “It’s part of it. Even though he saw me struggling with who I was and wanted to tell me. It was partly because of the promise he made to Ridge and his father about keeping our true mate status a secret until I came of age. He was afraid that once I hit my full maturity that Ridge would only want me because of my beta/gamma breed and that I might reject him because of it. Which would leave us both open to not mating and suffering the purge. Which he would never be able to tell me about if I didn’t mate Ridge. Pop knew that telling me about the gamma part of me probably wouldn’t have made a difference and he hated to keep me in the dark about it and watch me struggling with who I was, but he was afraid that one question would lead to others that would bring us too close to all of this that he couldn’t tell me about anyway. So he just insisted my gamma status be kept part of the promise he made to Ridge. He also never said anything to Ridge about it.”
Ridge smiled lovingly as he squeezed Caleb’s hand. “But I did find out that night I met Caleb in the bar on his twenty-first birthday. I could scent the gamma in him. It was faint, but I could still smell it, just like any beta or alpha can when we turn eighteen and those other tendencies begin to surface.”
“I honestly don’t even know what to say or feel right now, except for numb,” Jag confessed as he pulled Bo tighter to his side. A wave of gratefulness washed over him that he had found his mate and they had claimed one another, because the thought of Bo not surviving this purge, or being stuck in one form or another just gripped Jag’s heart and caused him pain.
“We know it’s a lot to take in and is unbelievable, but it’s all true. This may be selfish of me to say, but it is one of the reasons I am thrilled that Caleb is my mate and that Bo is now a part of our pack. As you know, Jag, we’re not horrible fighters and we can hold our own in battle, but the York pack is far superior to us in fighting skills and battle. Having them here to help train us so that those who survive have a better chance of survival after it's all over, makes me feel a lot better about our future,” Ridge said.
Jag nodded. “Yeah, I can understand that and I agree. Which only makes me want to train with both of you more, so that I can start helping you train the others,” he said to Caleb and his mate.
“Ridge and I were talking and we wanted to discuss that with you as well. Once we’re done here and the two of you make the blood promise, we’ll give you some time to be alone to talk about all of this. I know I needed that with Ridge after he told me. But once you’re ready, we want to start implementing a real training schedule, like we do back in the York pack. Daily training for hours. We need to prepare ourselves for what could come,” Caleb said.
“I agree and I think that would be a great idea. Thanks for the time allowing us to absorb all of this. Do you think maybe we should extend an invitation to other enforcers and warriors from other packs to move here, Ridge? I know we talked about it a few times in the past, but we never really got serious about it,” Jag asked.
“I think it’s about time we did. Not only
for protection purposes, but it would bring others to our lands that may be able to find their true mates. Not just here but at Dell’s as well. Which is one of the reasons even though I am still against it, I asked for him to allow Fane into his pack,” Ridge said through clenched teeth at the mention of his cousin.
“Meaning?” Jag questioned.
“Meaning, I told the asshole I would only offer him sanctuary if he told me the truth of what he was running from. It’s the purge. One of the coven members of the vampire nest he’s been living with has a true mate, but the idiot got blood drunk one night and got diarrhea of the mouth and started telling everyone within earshot about The Reckoning and the purge. Fane didn’t think anything of it at first and thought they guy was just delusional, but when others who were there that night started disappearing and being killed, Fane got nervous. Then someone tried to kill him, but he got away. He tried to go to his leader to discuss it with him, still not truly believing the whole thing, but he overheard the leader talking to the guy and he eavesdropped. He found out the purge was real and what would happen. He also heard the fear in the vampire’s voice that he had broken the blood promise and how they thought that if he killed anyone who was there that night, leaving no witnesses, that it would save him and his mate when the purge came. As much as I don’t want him around here, we need to bring him in. Dell will make him take the blood promise if he hasn’t already told anyone else. If he has, then he’s either on his own, or Fane has to stay here for us to keep an eye on him, so he doesn’t tell anyone else. If this gets out into our world, can you imagine what will happen?”
“All the other paranormals would go apeshit trying to find their true mates or forcing others into mating’s hoping it would be enough,” Jag replied.
“Exactly. The chaos would become too much to control. It would be total anarchy and those who have mates now that aren’t their true mates…” Ridge shook his head in disgust.
“Shit what about all of them? Both our packs have many non-true mate mating’s. What happens to them? I mean, I know what will happen to anyone who is not true mated, but what if a true mate for one of them comes along? It will break many hearts and some may feel cheated and lash out that they won’t be saved,” Bo said.
“That is exactly what would happen. But to be honest, the other leaders, Dell, and I who are part of this secret group, have high hopes for some of those mating’s,” Ridge said with a smile.
That look piqued Jag’s interest and he raised a brow at his friend. “Oh, yeah, and why is that?”
Ridge smiled as he answered, “Because we have hope that some of them are already true mates, but don’t know it yet.” Ridge just dropped another bomb that Jag thought was about to change things around here and cause a whole mess of shit.
“What do you mean, Ridge?” Bo asked.
“There are a few of those relationships that have found their true mate. There is a couple in New York that have been together for over ten years, but had no idea they were true mates even though they are both over twenty-five. Once we heard about that case we started digging into the books again and found something called a linchpin,” Caleb replied.
“A linchpin? What is that?” Jag asked.
“From what we found, a mating can actually be between more than two people. There are cases of trios, quads, and even five and six.”
Bo’s brows rose high on his forehead. “Six mates? Holy shit.”
Ridge chuckled, then continued. “Yes, amazing, right? But true. In these cases some of the people involved had been together already. Then one day someone walked in their path and they smelled their mate. With the couple in New York, they walked into a coffee shop to order and the guy behind the counter looked up at them and gasped, and when his scent hit them, they knew immediately who he was to each of them, but were shocked to learn that the guy was mate to both of them. When they went to their alpha he explained all of this to them, and then told them about the linchpin. The gods had allowed them to find one another and build a life together. It was because they were true mates that their attraction was so strong to begin with. Like with our couples, they committed to one another not thinking they would ever have a true mate, but not wanting to be alone. This was the gods’ way of helping them. For whatever reason the two needed to find a way to be together and make it work, fall in love and be devoted to one another first before they met their linchpin. He or she would be the one that would bring them all together, so that the three could claim one another.”
“So they were always true mates, but didn’t know it until they met their linchpin? Well shit. So then what?” Jag asked.
“Once they found their linchpin and talked to their alpha to find out what was going on, the three of them claimed one another and they now have a true tri-mating so all three of them will be fine when the purge comes.”
“We believe from what we have read and heard from the others, that all of our pack members who have already mated are actually true mates waiting for their linchpin. As you know, some of the couples in both packs fall in love, move in together, some have gotten married, and are living a happy life, but they haven’t mated. They have never bitten their partner during sex believing it isn’t necessary, because it isn’t possible for the mating to take as they are not true mates. Back in the York pack we have Tug and Raiden and a few others, who even though the bite won’t leave the claiming mark of a true mate, they have bitten each other and claimed one another in that right. We believe that even though the bond isn’t sealed, it has started,” Caleb said.
“So, when they find their linchpin that means that the gods think they are ready and have gotten over whatever shit they needed to get over and can now really claim each other and their linchpin? Wow. Makes me start thinking who in our pack... our old pack, are actually with their true mates and don’t know it until this linchpin comes along,” Bo replied.
“Think of the ones who are known to have bitten each other, and the other couples have thought they were fools for doing it, because it means nothing, while in reality it may mean everything, because they are the ones that will be meeting their other true mate or mates,” Caleb said.
“He’s right. With all our research, we’re pretty sure it is those couples or groupings that will be finding their linchpin, the missing link to their mating, before the purge. Which gives us hope for what comes after the purge and our numbers. Both Dell and I know all the couples of our packs and are keeping a close eye on those who have already committed themselves to one another with a bite. So you see, Jag, bringing in outsiders and allowing them to become a part of our pack, may be some of these linchpins,” Ridge said.
Jag smiled as he chuckled. “Well, hell, it looks like life around here is about to become very interesting.”
“Or entertaining,” Bo added, laughing.
They all started laughing at his words and Jag hugged his mate, then kissed the top of his head.
Whether more came or not, life was just getting interesting and entertaining now that he had his mate by his side.
CHAPTER 13
He had never been so excited in his life. Bo grabbed the drill and quickly secured the last hook, then stood back to admire his work. Blu walked in humming merrily, carrying an armful of pillows and dropped them down on the new sofa, then turned to him and smiled.
“That looks great. I think Jag is going to love it,” Blu said.
Bo gave him a big smile and replied, “Thanks. I think he will too. And thanks for all your help, Blu. I couldn’t have done all the modifications and set everything up in time. You really got this place looking badass,” Bo said, as he jumped off the bed.
Blu giggled. “Hey, I love, love. I’ll do anything I can to help it along. I only hope that someday I will be as lucky as you and Jag and Ridge and Caleb and find my perfect true mate.”
“I really pray for that for you too, Blu. I want you to find all the love and happiness that my mate gives me. You deserve it,” Bo said honestly. He
really did want Blu to find his true mate. Over the past two weeks that he had been a part of the Heart pack, Bo had come to really care about Blu. He had become one of Bo’s best friends and he loved him like a brother. The thought of Blu being one of the purge’s victims and being stuck in one form or another was just too much for him to think about. And he hadn’t lied to Blu either. Bo did pray every night to their gods Jumala and Akka that everyone he loved would find their true mate before The Reckoning. They had no idea when it would come, a week, a year, ten, but he wasn’t prepared to lose any of them so he prayed.
Blu gave him a watery smile as he wiped a tear from his cheek. “Stop or you’ll make me cry and my mascara will run, then I’ll look like a raccoon and no one wants that, trust me.”
“You’re gorgeous no matter what. You could walk around in a potato sack and still be smokin’
hot.” He was teasing, but he was also being very honest, Blu was drop dead gorgeous. And the little hottie was also fierce and smart as hell too.
“Awe, you sweet talker you. Now I know why your mate is always looking at your mouth.
Although come to think of it, it may have something to do with the whole Steven Tyler lips you’ve got going on, and I can only imagine the fantasies Jag has over that,” Blu said, with a twinkle in his eye telling Bo he was teasing.
“Yeah, well my mouth is very skilled. Jag can attest to that,” he replied, and wiggled his eyebrows making Blu laugh.
“Okay you big flirt, so what else needs to be done?” Blu asked, as he looked around the room.
“Thanks to you I think we’re done, and just in time too. My mate should be done with Caleb’s class any minute now and he’ll be making a beeline back here to help set everything up. Neither of us can wait any longer to get out of that guest room and here into our suite. I can’t wait to see his face when he walks in to not only find it’s all done, but that I made a couple of improvements to that massive bed,” Bo replied.
