A Mate Beyond Their Reach (12 page)

The fever appeared first, starting from his wound and dispersing through his body with striking rapidity. His head began to throb, and Drew couldn’t have said what caused it—the disease, his blood loss, or his fall. His muscles went stiff, and then his body began to seize.

Throughout it all, Drew remained at the very edge of consciousness, unable to do anything to save himself or his loved ones, and aware of each throb of pain that swept through his body.

He didn’t know how much time passed until he heard the door open. Through swollen eyelids, he caught sight of his friend, Dan, as the other man leaned over him to pick him up. The fear of spreading the virus further gave him strength to warn Dan. “You mustn’t. I’m sick. The virus.”

“I know,” Dan said. “We’ll find a way to help you.”

He took Drew in his arms. Drew would have protested, but he found his vision going gradually darker. “Paulie?” he somehow managed to ask. He feared the others had been attacked as well, not only him.

“He’s okay. We weren’t attacked. Don’t worry. You’ll be fine, too.”

But Dan’s voice trembled, and Drew knew his friend didn’t really believe his own words. “Tell them I love them,” he whispered.

“Paulie, Val, and Trent.”

It was the last thing he managed to say before his world turned into sheer blackness.

* * * *

The moment Valerius’s eyes took in the sight of the Hart compound, he acknowledged the fact that they were too late. He’d never been to Trent’s home, but he was fairly certain crumbling walls and smoking buildings did not make up part of the usual scenery.

He waited as Trent contacted his parents through the radio. The exchange that followed didn’t surprise him. “We realized somehow infiltrated the compound,” Grant said at one point, “but your mate was injured before we could get to him.”

Valerius had already known about his mate’s predicament. He’d sensed it in his heart during their trip here. Both he and Trent felt the exact moment of Drew’s injury, even if they hadn’t claimed the human as their own.

“How is he?” he asked.

“Very sick,” Grant answered. “The viral cultures somehow mixed into his blood stream.”

Feral? Drew was feral? Another time, Valerius would have been torn apart at the news, but virus or no, the abilities of the spirit wolves remained within the disease. It could help heal the body, and whatever other injuries Drew might have had would be gone. Of course, it would cause other, more worrisome problems, but with the information Alec had given them, Valerius hoped to be able to deal with them.

Trent landed the chopper on the helipad, and they jumped out.

They were met by four wolves Valerius recognized as belonging to the Hart family. He only knew the older Grant Hart and his wife, Marion. The other two were their younger children, Clay and Amy.

By their side, a red-eyed Paulie stood. “Please,” he said. “They won’t let me see him. Please.”

Valerius could understand that. Even if the virus couldn’t be transmitted through air, feral victims were generally quite violent once the disease set in. It would be dangerous for Paulie to be in his father’s presence.

“We’ll go check on him, son,” he said. “Don’t be afraid. We won’t let you down.”

The certainty in his voice made a spark of hope flash through Paulie’s eyes. Valerius would have felt guilty for it, but he refused to accept the thought of giving up on Drew. He and Trent would save their mate. He wouldn’t have it any other way.

“This way,” Grant said. “Come.”

They followed after Trent’s father into the compound. It occurred to Valerius he hadn’t seen Daniel Lawson anywhere. The thought that the human might’ve been hurt bothered him, a strange fact given all his concern went to Drew now.

Before he could figure out this mystery, they arrived at the room where Drew rested. The entire area was severely guarded, and Valerius had the bitter thought the Harts should have been more vigilant before this attack, not now, when the damage had already been done. But he couldn’t blame them, not really. He’d been just as guilty of miscalculating his father’s ability to hurt Drew. None of them expected this development.

Grant opened the door to Drew’s room. When his eyes first fell on Drew, Valerius let out a choked sound. Seeing his mate lost and tortured by the feral fever tore him apart. He rushed to Drew, and only his acute senses made him realize someone else had been in the room before. He turned and noticed Dan sitting in the corner, on a chair.

Valerius opened his mouth to tell Dan humans shouldn’t be here, but when their gazes met, his words froze in his throat. The same sensation of familiarity invaded him, along with the knowledge that Dan was no human.

The man got up and headed out without a word. Valerius vowed to figure things out with Dan. But first, he and Trent needed to rescue their mate.

Grant followed after Dan and shut the door behind him. Trent and Valerius sat by Drew’s bed. Their mate cracked his eyes open. “You came. I knew you’d come. But it’s not safe. The virus…”

The words sounded so weak and tremulous it broke Valerius’s heart. “Shh,” he murmured. “We’re fine. You’ll be fine, too.”

He shared a look with Trent. Drew seemed in worse condition than Valerius expected. Whatever happened in the lab must have caused the virus to spread more aggressively. Either way, they didn’t have much time. They needed to decide now if they’d take the chance with biting him.

Alec could have deceived them, making it his last act of revenge.

But even if it were so, Valerius didn’t have any better ideas, and they needed to do something before Drew became even sicker.

Trent took a deep breath. “I’ll do it,” he said. “This is my fault, after all.”

Valerius held onto his mate’s hand tightly. “W–What?” Drew asked. “What’s going on?”

“Listen, babe, we found out that if a spirit wolf bites a feral, the virus backs off,” Trent said. “We’re going to try to do it now.”

For a few moments, Drew didn’t answer. “That actually makes sense. As long as you’re safe…”

His voice broke off, and Valerius took position on the bed, cuddling Drew to his chest. As if on instinct, their mate bared his neck. A brief moment of hesitation, and then Trent struck. Drew’s body went rigid in Valerius’s arms, a small cry escaping his lips.

Valerius didn’t know what made him act the way he did. Ever so slowly, he changed positions until his mouth hovered over the other side of Trent’s neck. He embedded his fangs in the pale flesh, claiming his mate and hoping that their bond would save him.

No one had told them a double bite would help. For all he knew, it would just make things worse. But Val felt something shift inside him, the three-way bond form within them all. He felt it sweep through Drew, making the human arch against them. Energy crackled between them, and in his mind, Valerius could see three lights entwine, their souls becoming one. He’d thought Trent claiming him had been amazing, but this experience confirmed what they’d all known from the very beginning. The three of them were one.

Drew’s blood cleared of the foul taste of the virus and the stench of corruption began to fade away. Valerius released his hold on Drew’s neck and licked the wound to seal it. By his side, Trent did the same. Together, they watched their mate come to.

Drew’s eyes were clear and awed when he looked at them. “What just happened?” he asked, his voice as strong as ever.

“We claimed you,” Valerius answered. “How do you feel?”

“Never better,” Drew replied. His body began to tremble, and tears streamed down his face. For a few moments, Valerius thought the disease made a comeback, but then he realized Drew was just in shock. “Fuck,” his mate said. “I thought I was going to die. Oh, God.”

He wiped at his eyes furiously and let out a self-deprecating laugh.

“I’m so stupid. I shouldn’t cry. God, I can’t believe this.”

Valerius and Trent engulfed their mate in a double embrace. “It’s normal,” Valerius whispered. “Don’t be ashamed of your tears. You can let it all out with us.”

“You don’t have to be afraid any longer,” Trent added. “We’re here now.”

* * * *

Drew still couldn’t make himself fully acknowledge his recovery.

He was a scientist. He didn’t believe in miracles. And yet, here they were, Val and Trent, by his side, his own personal angels. How could this be?

The heat his mates radiated felt so welcoming, so unlike the feral fever that consumed Drew not a minute ago. “Am I dreaming?” he asked. It was the only explanation he could find. Hallucinations often appeared as symptoms of rabies.

Trent pinched him hard, and the stinging pain propelled Drew into reality. Somehow, he’d been given a new chance at life. He intended to make good use of it.

He suddenly became very aware of Trent and Val’s proximity, of their intoxicating scent and the perfection of their touch. He wanted more. He wanted to feel life flow through his veins, their life and his.

Arousal and adrenaline coursed through Drew. Apparently, being saved from certain death was quite an aphrodisiac. He rubbed against Val, whispering, “I think I need additional arguments.”

“Babe, you were just so sick,” Val protested. “We can’t.”

Drew shifted in their embrace and crushed his lips against Val’s.

“We can and we will. Please.”

His mates must have sensed his need, as they didn’t comment further. Clothes flew off, torn apart by greedy hands. Drew found himself under the assault of two wolfmen who ached for this intimacy as much as he did. They’d been so close to losing each other, losing their bond before they’d even fulfilled it. But no longer. Now they’d at last be together for all time.

Their mouths met in desperate kisses, tongues dancing, dueling, exploring. Drew tasted the delicious flavor of his mates, and beneath it, the lust, love, and the lingering fear. That fear and the desire to cast the shadows away propelled their want even further. They rutted against each other in erratic motions, skin against skin, slick cocks sliding together. But it was not enough.

Somehow, Drew ended up on all fours in the middle of the bed.

The cot didn’t provide for much maneuvering space, but they made do. Trent took position behind Drew and caressed the globes of his ass. “Fuck, babe, I want you so much.”

“Yes,” Drew hissed. “Yes, please.”

“Lube.” Val’s voice held an almost amusing urgency. “Do we have lube?”

Of course they didn’t have lube. The most they could hope for here was some medical ointment, but Drew didn’t know where they’d even be able to find it.

“We’ll use the natural one,” Trent said.

His fist enclosed around Drew’s hard cock, his hard, rough hand jacking Drew with expert precision. Drew whimpered and writhed, his arousal so intense that he reached the brink of orgasm in no time.

Val slid his cock over Drew’s lips, and the slight teasing motion held promise for more. When Trent rubbed a dry finger into his hole, Drew exploded, his climax filled with relief and the glee to be alive.

Before he could even recover, Trent inserted his now slick digits inside Drew. His body, relaxed from the orgasm, yielded with ease and begged for more. Two fingers went inside, and Drew panted as they hit his special spot. His shaft hardened once more, his previous release insufficient for the extent of his desire. “Fuck me!” he cried.

“Please, fuck me.”

Trent took his time preparing him, and Drew thought he’d lose his mind by the time he felt his mate’s cock nudge at his opening. He might’ve said something, begged for Trent to move faster, but Val chose this particular moment to push his dick against Drew’s lips. All thought flew out of Drew’s mind, and he obediently took his lover’s length into his mouth.

Drew had sucked Val before, but now, it felt different. He seemed to experience everything his mates did. Val’s taste drugged him, making fire burn through his every cell. When Trent thrust inside him, the sensation of being taken from two opposite sides roared through him, more powerful than ever. His two mates began to fuck him in earnest, Val in the front with deep, smooth motions that almost made Drew gag, Trent in the back in intense jabs that hit Drew’s prostate over and over. Ecstasy flooded their bond, tripling the already amazing pleasure. Fucking, being fucked, owning, and being owned, everything molded together as Drew saw himself through Val and Trent’s eyes. His body absorbed it all, until at last, it reached its limits. Too high, too bright, too good, and Drew couldn’t take it anymore. A second orgasm swept through him, casting away every fear, cementing their connection.

Mere seconds later, Val’s seed filled his mouth, his sweet and salty taste making Drew drunk. Trent thrust inside him in an almost painful motion and came as well. His mates’ pleasure echoed through Drew, reaching into his very soul, sending him to nirvana.

By some miracle, he managed to keep his hold on reality and savor every delicious moment of it. When at last, the sensations began to dwindle, Drew found himself cuddled between two hard, naked bodies.

His mates just held him close. Regretfully, they didn’t claim him again, and Drew didn’t ask them to. Drew was beginning to have his suspicions over why a spirit wolf bite could help a feral, but he still didn’t understand to what extent it healed him. He’d have to check if the feral virus remained active within him.

The thought sobered him, and he began to remember everything else. At the top of his mind emerged Paulie. Damn it, he had to tell Paulie he’d be fine.

He scrambled out of bed and scanned the room for clothing.

“Don’t worry,” Trent said. “We were very vocal. I think they know you feel better by now.”

Drew gave his mate an ugly look, even if he knew Trent was only teasing. Val tossed a pillow at Trent’s head. “Shut up.” He got up and padded naked into the bathroom. Drew followed and hurried to clean up, while Trent joined them. Once he finished, Trent tossed him a bathrobe, and Drew realized his mates finished their own “grooming”

process in record time. Damn spirit wolves and their stupid speed.

Grumbling under his breath, Drew headed out of the room. He ran into soldiers who seemed reluctant to let him pass, but Trent and Val’s intervention cleared the way.