Mates in Life and Death (10 page)

Ash shook his head, revising his opinion of Willow. “How could

you be so cruel?” he asked her. “How could you let him hope and

wither away in a town filled with ghosts?”

“Don’t judge her, Ashton,” Wolfram answered in the woman’s

stead. “It had been all arranged. We’d failed Caesar two hundred

years back, but I hoped when the moment came for Linden’s rebirth,

he’d have the potential to become a spirit wolf. But he’s not. He’s

human. As such, and given Lucius’s interference, my presence was

necessary.”

Ash finally began to understand. It wouldn’t do for the rest of the

spirit wolves to come in contact with the dead souls. If knowledge of

this came out to their nation, he couldn’t even imagine what would

happen. Wolfram’s rule might even be contested on account of

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favoring ferals and not destroying them completely, as he should

have.

As Wolfram spoke, Ash felt his two mates approach and cursed to

himself. Linden didn’t need to see all of this. He’d be hurt if he found

out his life had been a lie. But the ghosts didn’t turn into their

previous form, and the entire town remained in its chalk-white state. It

seemed to echo Linden’s face color when he finally appeared on the

street. For one terrible second, Ash almost thought his mate had

turned into a ghost, like all of the others, but when his panic

dwindled, he realized what he could see on Linden was just shock and

terror. It didn’t help them much, but it did relieve him somewhat.

At last, Dan and Linden reached the house and positioned

themselves strategically next to Ash. “What’s happening?” Linden

asked. His voice didn’t tremble in spite of the fear written in his eyes.

Willow looked away, clearly unwilling to tell her son the truth.

Ash himself didn’t know how to explain. He just wanted to grab his

two mates and head for the hills, but he was frozen.

For some reason, it didn’t surprise him when Wolfram answered

the question. “As you can probably tell, Linden, this is a town of spirit

wolves, or rather, of dead ferals.”

Linden began to tremble. “I’m dead? I can’t be dead. I don’t feel

dead.”

“That’s because you’re not, but you’re not like the rest of us

either.”

Ash gaped at his leader. “What do you mean?”

“Caesar stopped Linden from becoming like one of these lost

souls,” Wolfram continued. “But his spirit does bear a scar, which is

why he’d never be able to live among normal humans, or our kind.”

Linden’s lower lip trembled, and he looked like he would burst

into tears. “Then it was all in vain? I can’t be with my mates. And

what about my mom? Is she like me, too?”

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“I’m afraid not, baby,” Willow said regretfully. “The emphysema

killed me a long time ago. I just look like this because I am here, but

out of this town…”

Linden swooned, but thankfully, Dan caught him in time. They

knelt in the withered grass, allowing their mate a few moments to

recover. Tears pooled in Linden’s eyes, and he buried his face in

Ash’s shirt. How could their happiness turn into such a disaster in

merely a moment?

* * * *

Linden trembled in his mates’ embrace, scrambling for warmth to

chase away the chill that settled in his bones the moment he’d entered

the ghost town. He still couldn’t believe any of this. His world had

crumbled around him in just a few minutes. His mother was dead and

had been since God knows when. As for himself, he seemed to be in

some sort of troublesome existence. His hopes of trying to find a life

with his mates were scattered in the wind like ashes of a torn love

letter. He felt betrayed and bereft. How could his mother lie like this?

Why had she let him work and hope in vain?

He knew he shouldn’t allow his mates near him, but he couldn’t

help it. Their presence anchored him in a world that no longer made

any sense. God, he needed to understand. He refused to accept being

denied his right to love like this.

Breaking away from his mates, he shot to his feet. “But why?

Why are you doing this? Why did you all lie? Why can’t I be with

them?”

“Through this reincarnation, your soul still carries the mark of a

feral,” Wolfram Rozenstadt replied. Linden’s memories identified

him as the Magistrate who ruled over all spirit wolves. “You can

sense it now. The abilities of our people are within you, even if most

are dormant. Eventually, they will awaken, and you will turn feral. As

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long as you are here, you do not risk that. The magic of this place

prevents it.”

“So I am essentially in a prison, and without even knowing it.” No

wonder his mother clung to him, never allowing him to leave town.

He’d thought this house was an inheritance, but he guessed now that

had been a lie as well.

“I’m so sorry, baby,” Willow said. “If there had been any other

way…”

“Who said there isn’t?” Drew piped in.

Everyone’s eyes turned to Drew. The enigmatic doctor fascinated

Linden, and not only because he’d managed to maintain a relationship

with his two spirit wolf mates. He’d showed genuine interest in his

mother’s welfare and slight puzzlement at her state of health. Judging

by what Linden knew now, he thought Drew might have felt

something was not quite right. In fact, he didn’t seem as surprised as

the rest of them. If anything, he looked thoughtful, an expression

Linden recognized as a “scientist face.”

Drew’s words drew the D’Averams back into the conversation.

Linden didn’t know much about the vendetta involving the two spirit

wolf families, just that Lucius attempted to kill Drew and the Harts

had become involved. But now, Clara D’Averam struck him like an

attachment of her husband. Half the time, her expression didn’t even

change. Just like Lucius, she seemed broken inside, like a machine

that didn’t work right anymore.

He’d wondered when they’d finally snap out of it and realize the

conversation involved their beloved dead son. They did so now, and

even Clara became alert. “What’s all this about Caesar and his mate?”

she asked.

For his part, Lucius seemed just as lost and found a focus in his

insane hatred. “And who are you to question our Magistrate, human?”

He growled at Drew. “I don’t know how you convinced Valerius of

the possibility to find a cure, but it won’t work. You will turn feral.”

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Valerius and Trent looked furious while the Magistrate just

frowned. Drew ignored Lucius’s words and said, “Let’s focus on the

matter at hand, shall we? Linden, I do not believe in the impossible. I

myself ended up feral through an order of someone present here, and

yet I’m perfectly all right. I believe you can be, too.”

“You were feral?” Wolfram asked, now sounding quite upset.

“And how exactly did it happen?”

Grant Hart appeared behind them. The patriarch of the Hart family

had been very kind to Linden during his stay here, and he’d

remarkably kept his composure all throughout this entire episode of

The Twilight Zone.

“Lucius sent assassins at the compound, My Lord,” he explained.

“We didn’t expect such an attack, and they got to Andrew before we

could rush to help him. He was studying the feral virus at the time,

and in the destruction of the lab, he got infected.”

“But we’ve discovered the mate bond can cure it. In fact, a spirit

wolf bite can temporarily push away the virus.”

A few tense moments passed as Wolfram considered Drew’s

words. “I know about the bite. However, what you probably didn’t

realize is that, after the virus returns, it becomes even more virulent

and damages the soul and mind of its host even more. As for the mate

bond, Caesar and Linden proved beyond a shadow of a doubt it

doesn’t work.”

“It does if three of us are involved,” Drew countered.

Wolfram didn’t look convinced, and none of those present seemed

inclined to offer any further explanation. At last, Dan spoke out. “I

appreciate your help, My Lord, and your concern. I would have never

accepted the memories of my past life as Caesar if not for your

assistance.”

A gasp sounded from Clara D’Averam, but Dan ignored her. “But

I trust Drew on this one,” he continued. “I saw what happened in the

compound with my own eyes. If he says there’s a chance, we have to

try.”

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Linden agreed. No matter how slim the possibility would be, they

couldn’t just let it go. “I’m with Dan. I won’t give up without a fight.”

Wolfram shook his head. “I won’t stop you, but I will tell you that

if your idea fails and you turn feral, there won’t be any other choice

but to kill you.”

Linden hesitated, not because of fear of his own death, but

because of his reluctance to make Dan go through the horrible

experience once more and force Ash into it as well.

Drew sensed his hesitation. “We don’t have to do anything until

you’re one hundred percent certain. We’ll do some tests and figure

out the safest route. You can always decide against it in the end.”

Linden’s eyes met Drew’s. The doctor understood him. They

were, essentially, in the same situation, even if Linden’s previous life

implied some complications.

Linden bit his lip. What if it was all pointless hoping? What if

he’d just drag his mates into renewed sorrow? What if Drew failed to

help them?

No, he couldn’t falter now. A test wouldn’t hurt, and at the first

sign that anything was wrong, Linden would return to Timber Lake

and bury his life in death.

As it turned out, circumstances forced them to go through with the

original plan and improvise a lab in Linden’s house. Equipment

would be brought in the next day, meant for Willow’s treatment.

Wolfram refused to let them out of his sight, and for all his words, he

fully intended to supervise the process of research to the very end.

However, to his credit, he forced the town to get back to normal, or

rather its normal façade, and called in additional supplies. Now that

he knew, Linden saw it differently, and he realized, in dismay, he’d

have preferred things to stay like they’d been before. He hated lies,

and with each breath he took, he seemed to be inhaling deception.

No one commented on the revelations made. Lucius and Clara

were pulled aside for a conversation with Wolfram and Valerius, then

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73

locked down in the house’s only guest room. Dan and Ash were also

dragged off, and Linden lingered by Drew’s side.

Out of the blue, Drew started to speak. “I almost pity the

D’Averams.”

Linden was startled. “Why?”

“They’re insane. Their human mate killed himself in front of

them. Val and Trent told me all about it. Personally, I think Caesar

and you were better off like this. At least you found each other again.

And I will do my best to help you.”

Linden nodded, swallowing in distress at the thought of what

Lucius and Clara had gone through. He’d never liked them, not even

during his previous life, but he began to understand their behavior

might have a reason.

That day, nothing more could be done, not until the lab equipment

became fully assembled and ready for work. For Linden’s part, he had

a conversation pending. When he caught his mother alone in the

kitchen, he approached her. For a few moments, neither of them

spoke, until at last, Willow spoke, “I’m sorry. I thought I was doing

the right thing.”

“How did this happen, Mom?” Linden waved his hand around. “I

don’t understand.”

“It’s easy, really. The Magistrate came to me and told me we

should come here. He arranged for you to think it was an inheritance.

He wanted to help me, but my emphysema had already gotten beyond

all aid. I died a few nights after we reached this place.”

Linden distantly remembered his mother being tired back then,

but he’d never have thought such a horrible thing could be behind it.

“As for now,” Willow continued, “the magic in this town keeps

the feral souls at bay, but it also had a detrimental effect on the

soldiers who came here, after the D’Averams showed up.”

“How did Lucius even know to come here?”

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“I haven’t the foggiest.” She shrugged. “It is really very strange.

While I know some things about the spirit wolves, others remain a

mystery. In the end, it doesn’t really matter.”

No, it didn’t, but the rest of it mattered, and a lot. Linden still

couldn’t believe his mother lied to him like this. But worst of all, he

couldn’t accept she’d died without him even knowing about it. “What

happens now?” he asked, unable to keep the tremor from his voice.

Willow wrapped him in a warm embrace. “I wish I knew, baby.

But you have your mates now. You’re safe.”