“Probably for the same reason you left him when you found out he’d taken another mate,” Spiro replied. “Don’t be too hard on him. He’s trying to find his way through a difficult time.”
Haig spun around. “But it was his idea for me to mate with
Audric
in the first place.”
“Yes, but he didn’t know at the time that
Audric
is your divine mate, your true mate. Do you realise what happens once that bond is fully formed?”
Haig could only tell Spiro what he’d heard passed down from his father. “True mates become as one, spiritually. They are able to sense each other’s thoughts and feelings.”
“And pain. As the two of you have already proven to be the case.”
“No.
Audric
and I haven’t mated. I mean, we love each other, but I haven’t marked him as mine.”
Which didn’t explain how he was able to see and feel
Audric’s
pain earlier in the day.
Realisation hit him between the eyes. “I nipped his neck when we made love. Although I didn’t sink my teeth into him, I did taste a drop of his blood. But that wouldn’t be enough to satisfy the Gods, would it?”
“No, but if the bond between the two of you has strengthened to that degree after a taste of
Audric’s
blood, what do you think would happen if you were to truly mate with him?” Spiro shook his head. “You would cease to think about any man beyond your true mate. Kern knows this. It’s the reason he’s pulling away.”
“Easier to walk away than be forgotten,” Haig surmised.
“Yes.”
“But I don’t want to forget him. I love him. He’s been my entire reason for living for over four hundred years. What kind of Gods would give me the ability to forget all we’ve been through together?”
“It’s not their fault. You were probably never meant to fall in love with Kern in the first place. Unfortunately,
Audric
was kidnapped and turned before your wolves could find each other.”
“So because of
LaMont
I’m supposed to choose?” Haig asked, anger coursing through his blood.
“I can’t tell you what to do. As far as I know, this has never happened before.”
“Except for you,” Michael interjected.
“Huh?” Haig questioned.
“My mate was lost to me before I had a chance to meet him. But that’s water under the bridge. I’ve accepted a solitary life filled with the occasional bed partner.” Spiro smiled but there was a look of sadness to the happy face he was trying to portray. “You’ll have to find your own way on this one. I’m afraid I can’t help you.”
* * * *
Kern sat outside the ward with Flick and three other soldiers from The Realm. Although Neo and Ramiro had slipped easily through the opening created by Spiro’s ring, every time Kern or one of the other
weres
neared it, it began to shrink.
It had finally been decided the non-vampires would sit outside like a bunch of jackasses while Ramiro and Neo went in and risked their necks. Kern knew he wasn’t the only one feeling useless. Flick was fit to be tied at the exclusion. Kern had a strong feeling it had something to do with Flick’s need for revenge against Juniper Cavanaugh.
“You know they’ll bring her out if they can,” he said, trying to reassure Flick.
“With only the two of them, I just don’t see how that’ll be possible.”
“Have you forgotten who Neo is? Believe me, there’s no way Juniper can best Neo.”
Neo appeared seconds later carrying a filthy woman Kern assumed was Galena. She had rolled herself into a ball, her hair hanging like dirty brown strands of rope in front of her face.
What the hell happened to her?
Neo was flanked by Ramiro who kept looking over his shoulder. “Hurry,” he heard Ramiro say.
Kern and Flick jumped to their feet and started tossing grass and dirt towards the ward, making the opening visible.
Neo motioned for Ramiro to precede him through the opening. It was a tight fit, but Ramiro managed to get through. He held out his hands for Neo. “You come out first in case the girl causes the portal to close.”
Neo shook his head. “I’m not leaving her in here.”
“You will if you have to. We have no other choice. The Realm can’t fight this battle without you.”
The closer Neo carried Galena to the opening, the smaller it became. “Leave her,” Ramiro shouted, causing Galena to squeak and bury her face in her hands.
Flick stopped flinging dirt and charged towards Ramiro. “She has a name, and she’s just as important as you are.”
Ramiro narrowed his eyes and Flick actually took a step back. “I would watch a hundred Blessed Creatures die to save our leader. The question
is,
why wouldn’t you?”
“Take her!” Neo yelled.
Flick and Ramiro stopped their argument to focus on Neo. Galena was half in and half out of the ward. Kern wiped the sweat from his forehead and continued to toss anything he could find against the ward.
Flick grabbed Galena’s wrists and pulled her free just as the ward closed. He hoisted her into his arms and began whispering words Kern couldn’t hear.
“Fuck!” Ramiro began to pace back and forth. “Now what?” he asked Neo.
“Now you get them out of here,” Neo ordered.
Ramiro shook his head. “I’m not leaving without you.”
“Yes you are. I can get myself out, but not without alerting everyone within a fifty-mile range that I’m doing it. Once that happens,
Morwyn
will be on these
weres
in a heartbeat. I need to make sure they’re safe first.”
Ramiro huffed for several brief moments before pointing towards Flick’s truck. “You heard him—get out of here.”
Flick ran towards the truck with Galena in his arms. Kern turned towards Ramiro. “I’ll head back to the vineyard after I make sure Galena and Flick are safely on a plane home.”
Ramiro shook his head. “You need to come back to The Realm with me.”
“No,” Kern argued. “There’s nothing there for me now.”
Ramiro grabbed the front of Kern’s shirt. Although the two men were the same size, Ramiro easily lifted Kern off his feet.
“
Neo’s
about to declare war on
Morwyn
.
Do you have any idea what that means? We’re going to need every strong body we can find to help us win and yours is stronger than most.”
The last thing Kern wanted was to see the two men that he’d lost. “I can’t do it, Ram.”
“You have to.”
* * * *
Haig wiped the sweat from
Audric’s
face and chest with a cool washcloth. For hours, Haig had held his fated mate while he’d suffered racking sobs. Each nightmare seemed a rehashing of past tortures at the hands of
LaMont
and his coven.
Although Haig still wasn’t sure where he stood with Kern, there was definitely one conclusion he’d come to in the previous hours. Never again would he allow
Audric
to suffer one moment of unhappiness. No matter what it took or what he had to give up, Haig would spend his life making sure of that.
A knock sounded at the door, and Haig’s hopes rose to the surface. “Come in.”
Ramiro stepped into the room. “May I speak with you?”
Despite the sweat still pouring off of him, Haig tucked the sheet around
Audric’s
naked body and got out of bed. Being nude in front of Ramiro didn’t bother Haig, but by the expression on Ramiro’s face, Haig felt he needed to be dressed for the conversation about to take place.
Leaving
Audric
alone wasn’t an option. He pointed towards a pair of chairs in front of the unlit fireplace. Ramiro began speaking as soon as they settled. “I need you to know what we’re up against.”
“You mean with the pack?” Michael and Spiro had filled Haig in on the threat
Morwyn
presented if he was indeed with the Galway
weres
.
“It’s not just a pack, Haig.
Morwyn
has built an army of…” He shook his head.
“Mutants.”
He shrugged. “There’s no other way to describe the creatures I saw today. I think he must’ve started working his brand of magic on the
weres
of Galway, but he’s moved on to all the Blessed Creatures who’ve been unhappy for one reason or another with The Realm. The
weres
are twice as big, twice as strong as you are. The vampires seem to be in a permanent state of blood frenzy like nothing I’ve ever seen.”
“Then how can we defeat them?” Haig glanced over at
Audric’s
restless sleep.
And how can I protect the men I love?
With his forearms resting on his knees, Ramiro bent his head and threaded his fingers through his shoulder-length black hair. “I don’t know.
Neo’s
gone to speak to his father. His hope is that since
Morwyn
is Zeus’s brother, he’ll be able to help.”
“And in the meantime?”
Ramiro sat up and glanced towards the bed. “Hold the ones you love close.” He turned and met Haig’s gaze. “All of them.”
Haig nodded. “You don’t have to tell me that. I’m not the one who left earlier without saying goodbye. I’m not the one who’s been back to The Realm for who knows how long and hasn’t bothered to come up and check on either of his mates.”
“I just spent an hour trying to talk Kern out of volunteering for what could be a suicide mission.”
“
What
?” Haig jumped to his feet and towered over the vampire. “Who’s sending him?”
“No one yet, but he told Neo he would try to infiltrate
Morwyn’s
army. I tried to tell him he should stay here and use that energy for something more positive like fighting for the men he loves. Unfortunately, he’s convinced he can’t challenge what the Gods have fated.”
“I won’t let him go.”
Ramiro leant forward, his eyes narrowing just a bit. “Then you’d better get downstairs and make damn sure he knows that.”
“Kern?”
Audric’s
weak voice called.
Haig jumped up and strode towards the bed. “You’re awake.”
“Kern,”
Audric
said again.
Haig sat on the edge of the bed and smoothed his hand over
Audric’s
cheek. “He’s not here, love.”
“I need to talk to him.”
Audric
pushed at the covers and sat up.
“I’ll find him for you.” Haig resettled
Audric
on the pillow.
“Where is he?” he asked Ramiro.
Ramiro smiled. “You’ll find him outside the conference room, waiting for further orders from Neo.”
* * * *
Kern had is face buried in his hands when he felt someone sit beside him. He sprang up and was surprised to find Haig. “What’re you doing here? Is
Audric
okay?”
Haig rested his forearms on his knees and shook his head.
“Nope.
I don’t think any of us are okay, do you?”
“You’ll go on,” Kern mumbled. He tried to hide the pain coursing through his body. When Haig had hit the ward…had that really only been the day before? Kern shook his head. He felt like each minute had stretched into an hour. The combination of sexual need during the mating frenzy had been nothing compared to his emotional needs at the thought of losing his two mates.
Haig reached over and tried to hold Kern’s hand, but Kern pulled back. “Don’t.”
“You can’t just give up on us,” Haig told him. “I don’t understand how you’d willingly fight for The Realm but not your family. But it doesn’t matter, because you’re not going.”
“Yes I am. If Neo gives me the go-ahead, I’m
outta
here,” Kern stated. “I’ve made up my mind. It’s the right thing to do.”
In a flash Haig towered over Kern with his hand wrapped around Kern’s neck.
“I said, you’re not going.”
Kern tried to hold Haig’s stare, but his mate had been born to the Alpha position, and Kern had always respected that. He averted his eyes and tilted his head to the side, baring his throat. “Don’t keep me here. I can’t stand to watch the two of you forget about me.” He met Haig’s gaze again. “It’ll kill me and we both know it.”
Haig’s hand slid to the back of Kern’s neck as he leant down for a kiss. Knowing it may be the last
time,
Kern willingly opened for his mate’s probing tongue. How would he get through a single day without the taste of Haig in his mouth?
Kern groaned when Haig sat down to straddle his lap. His hands scrambled to wrap around Haig’s muscular body, drawing his mate even closer. “Gods, I love you,” he said as a sob broke free. He dug his fingers into Haig’s flesh, wishing he could keep his mate forever.
Haig pulled away first, loosening Kern’s grip. “Come upstairs so we can talk.”
“
Audric
doesn’t need me. I was his forced mate. You’re the one he’s always needed.”
“They why did he wake up with your name on his lips?”
Shocked, Kern started to shake his head no, but Haig’s hands on either side of his face stopped him. “He needs to see you.”
The thought of saying goodbye to
Audric
threatened Kern’s control once again. “He’s probably remembered how Richard made me mate him against his will. He probably just wants to spit on me.”
Haig tilted Kern’s chin up. “Do you really think he’s capable of something like that? He’s been through a life of pure hell. I know—I’ve seen it.” Haig shook his head. “He deserves all the love the two of us can give him and more.”
Haig climbed off Kern’s lap and held out his hand. “Come on.”
With a great deal of reluctance and a heavy heart, Kern took Haig’s hand. “What if Neo comes out to get me and I’m not here?”
“I have a suspicion that
Neo’s
left you out here for so long in hopes we’ll get our shit together and do what’s right for our family. Now let’s go do just that.”
* * * *
Audric
eyed Ramiro as he sat by the fireplace. He still wasn’t sure how he’d be able to process all the memories, but he knew he had a lot to make up for.
Starting with the handsome man across the room.
“I’m sorry.”