Three Mates, One Destiny (4 page)

The abrupt change in topic took Paulie by surprise. Before he could figure out what was going on, his father crossed the room and invaded his personal space. Drew passed his hand through Paulie’s hair and cursed. “It is. You’re getting gray hair.”

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Paulie recovered from his shock and pushed Drew away. “Dad, stop making such a fuss for nothing.”

Predictably, Drew ignored him. “No, you’ve been working far too hard. You’re going to get some sleep. I don’t want you to come down with something.”

Paulie didn’t even bother to protest, or to point out gray hair could easily appear for hereditary causes, not just because of old age. His dad had become impossibly protective in the past few years, and Paulie suspected the cause. In seven years, Drew hadn’t aged a day.

He looked the same as the moment he’d been infected with the feral virus. Back then, the double bite from Valerius and Trent saved Drew, but at the same time, changed his DNA. Now, Drew’s life expectancy had extended, while Paulie remained a normal human, doomed to wither away and die. These days, the smallest thing—a cough or the appearance of a gray hair—could trigger a small panic attack from Drew.

So Paulie allowed his father to push him out of the lab and take him to his room. Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to get some sleep. Drew could take care of the preparations by himself, and Paulie would be more useful to Drew well rested, when the patient actually arrived.

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Through the speed of the promised helicopter, Marcus, Sebastian, and Ross reached the Maine compound of the Hart family faster than expected. As they approached their destination, a sort of weird apprehension filled Sebastian. At first, he thought it could be due to the imminent clash with Andrew Blunt. Sebastian met the man at the Magistrate’s mating ceremony. He’d been still out of sorts due to Marcus’s injury, and his rudeness insulted the human doctor. But he’d never once faltered in the face of someone else’s anger, and he had no reason to do so now.

Soon, his chest began to ache and his mind swam with confusion and something akin to longing. At one point, Sebastian realized Marcus could feel it, as well, and not only through their mate bond.

He tried to focus on Ross and the urgency of saving the injured human, but the closer they got, the more intense the feeling became.

He’d only experienced something similar once, when he’d first met Marcus. Even now, his entire being screamed “mate,” and the wolf within howled, demanding to be let out to find their destiny.

Sebastian wouldn’t have considered it possible to feel such a thing again, but he’d seen three matings involving three people so far. He might have a third mate, as well.

Of course, the helicopter traveled faster than Sebastian could—

even in shifted form—and the knowledge, and Marcus’s presence, kept him from jumping outside from a height that could have very well broken every bone in his body. He almost missed the moment they landed, the anxiety and impatience overwhelming his senses.

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Realizing his lapse, he took a few moments to calm down then opened the helicopter door and went out.

Sebastian helped Marcus carry Ross. The condition of the poor human had deteriorated greatly, and Sebastian could already see the venom taking control of Ross’s mind. It drove away some of his own selfish need, and he reacquired his control.

Outside, Andrew Blunt and his mates were waiting for them.

“Come on,” Andrew said without preamble. “Let’s take him inside.”

Sebastian nodded and rushed after the human doctor. His instincts told him his mate was somewhere inside the compound, but he kept them in check, knowing he needed to help Ross now.

Andrew led them into a well-guarded clinic that boasted every piece of medical technology in existence, and some Sebastian hadn’t even known about. It seemed to be better equipped than the Magistrate’s. This surprised Sebastian, but gave him hope for Ross’s future.

Marcus, Sebastian, and Andrew entered a room that looked like an examination area of sorts, while Valerius and Trent stopped in front of the door. The doctor indicated for them to place Ross on the bed. In swift, efficient motions, he put on surgical gloves and analyzed Ross’s wound. “How long ago did he receive the bite?” he asked in a neutral tone.

“We’re not sure. A few hours ago,” Sebastian replied.

“As far as we could tell, he’s a homeless boy,” Marcus added.

“Well, that explains it. The infection is spreading rapidly,” the doctor explained. “His immune system is weakened by lack of proper nutrition. Did he tell you his name?”

“Ross.”

“All right. We’ll begin treating him at once.”

As Andrew spoke, the feeling of need that never left burst through Sebastian once again. The door burst open and a young blond man rushed inside. “What’s going on, Dad? How is he?”

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“Not so good,” Andrew replied. He glanced at Marcus and Sebastian. “Gentlemen, this is my son, Paul. He will be assisting me with the treatment of the patient. Now, I’m going to have to ask you to wait outside.”

The doctor’s words barely registered. Sebastian could only focus on Paul Blunt, his other mate. Marcus seemed just as flabbergasted.

For Paul’s part, the young man stared at them for a few moments, his beautiful blue eyes wide. Then, he looked away and turned all his attention to Ross. Andrew Blunt cleared his throat. “Gentlemen…”

Sebastian snapped out of his daze. “Right. We’ll be outside. Let us know of any change.”

Together with Marcus, Sebastian left the examination room. Trent and Valerius were in the same place, waiting at the door. There were soldiers stationed at each end of the corridor, but the distance allowed them some privacy.

Sebastian had never been close to the two men, especially Valerius who, as a Judiciary, went way beyond anything Sebastian could ever accomplish. But for whatever reason, they seemed more approachable now. “Drew and Paulie are excellent doctors,” Trent offered. “If anyone can help Ross, it’s them.”

Sebastian didn’t know what to say to that, so he just nodded and leaned against the wall. After a short silence, Valerius piped in. “I’m not sure you know this, but you two could have bitten him and it would’ve healed the virus.”

Sebastian blinked in confusion. How would their bite help?

“The three-way mate bond can heal anything,” Valerius finished.

Realization dawned, and heat flooded Sebastian’s face as he figured out he and Marcus must have been broadcasting their emotions all over the place. “It’s not like that,” he said weakly. “Ross is not our mate.”

Valerius frowned. “Oh? But Marcus and you are, right?” He shook his head and lifted his hand. “No, never mind. It’s none of my business.”

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Sebastian shared a look with Marcus. Given that their mate was Andrew Blunt’s son, he’d also become Valerius and Trent’s child.

Consequently, the situation involved them a lot. But Sebastian couldn’t tell them, not yet. He needed to have a chat with Marcus first.

Before he could flee, Valerius’s expression shifted, becoming unreadable, yet somehow ominous. “Wait… I know what I sensed. If the boy is not your mate, who is?”

Realization dawned and the other man seemed to get even more troubled. “Paulie,” Valerius and Trent said at the same time.

Sebastian didn’t have the heart to deny it, even if the two spirit wolves didn’t look too thrilled. He just nodded and waited to see what Valerius and Trent would say.

He might just be excessively apprehensive, but Sebastian wanted everything to work out with Paulie. Even a hundred years after he’d become Marcus’s mate, Harriet and Ezekiel Deacon still treated him like something they scraped off their shoes. They’d never accepted his union with their son. For this reason, Sebastian had chosen to keep everything a secret. At the same time, he knew Marcus suffered because of the way the Deacons acted with them. He didn’t want the story to repeat itself.

“Well, first, I’ll congratulate you,” Trent said, although his voice didn’t sound too gleeful.

“Thank you,” Marcus replied. “It’s really the last thing we expected to find when we came here.”

Valerius gave them both a serious look. “We won’t stand in your way, of course. But you must remember, he is very young. He’s had a few years to get used to life amidst spirit wolves, but I’m not sure he’s ready for a mating.”

Sebastian hated the insinuation that they’d do something to harm their human mate. Before he could offer a scathing reply, Marcus intervened. “We don’t plan to jump into anything. Besides, this
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conversation is quite inappropriate. We have to talk to him first. It’s what he wants that matters.”

Marcus was right. Paulie didn’t belong to their kind, so Sebastian couldn’t figure out how the young man would react to this news. For Sebastian’s part, he didn’t want to rush into things either. He’d spent so many years with Marcus that the other man had become almost like an extension of him. He didn’t know how a third would fit in.

The thought made him remember his own family situation. He decided to give his father a call after he spoke to Marcus. It wouldn’t hurt to get another opinion on this, and Roland always gave him good advice.

The reverberations of silent footsteps alerted them to a new presence, and the four men ended the conversation. Mr. and Mrs. Hart appeared down the corridor, flanked by a group of soldiers. Sebastian had already noticed the heavy security in the compound, and he felt satisfied his young mate had been well cared for.

Marion and Grant Hart stopped in front of them and smiled. Their daughter, Amy, joined her parents. “Welcome to our home, Sebastian, Marcus,” Marion greeted them.

“It’s very nice to see you,” Grant continued.

Amy offered them a small smile. “I wish your visit could’ve had a more pleasant reason.”

“Hello, Mr. Hart, Mrs. Hart,” Marcus replied. “Believe us, we’d have liked the same.”

The spirit wolves engaged them in a conversation that mainly rotated around Ross. Marcus and Sebastian repeated what they’d said before and received more words of comfort in turn.

“Perhaps you should get some rest,” Amy suggested. “I think this might take a while.”

Sebastian shook his head. He couldn’t imagine the thought of leaving the door. First of all, he felt responsible for the human they’d brought here. At the same time, he ached to be as close as possible to his second mate.

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“Thank you, but no,” he said. “We’ll wait.”

“Very well,” Marion said. “We’ll prepare rooms for you.” She hesitated and continued, “Would you like separate quarters or just one?”

Sebastian began to feel irritated. Was everyone on the Hart compound so nosy? He forced himself to smile, while Marcus replied,

“One, Mrs. Hart. We appreciate it.”

She didn’t look in any way bothered by this, not that Sebastian expected her to be. Few spirit wolves treated Sebastian differently because of his birth mother. The Harts always struck him as kind and loving people, unlike Marcus’s family.

Still, Sebastian felt relieved when the group left at last, and only Trent and Valerius stayed behind. None of them made any attempt for further conversation. They just waited there, outside the examination room, their ears peeled for any sign of what was going on inside.

At one point, they began to hear light moans coming from inside.

Andrew opened the door and ushered Trent and Valerius inside.

When Sebastian offered to help as well, Andrew shook his head.

“It’s better if you just wait,” he replied. “Trent and Valerius have done this before. Don’t worry. We’ll do our best to save him.”

Logically, Sebastian understood that. Besides, he didn’t know if he could be useful at all with all the thoughts passing through his mind. It was very strange to feel so lost and ill-prepared. The only moment comparable had been when Marcus suffered from his life-threatening injury. This time, however, confusion replaced remorse, and only the sense of helplessness remained.

“You could go to the waiting room,” Drew continued. “It’s not far, and you’d be more comfortable.”

“Thank you, but no,” Marcus replied. “We’ll stay here.”

The door closed once again, leaving Marcus and Sebastian alone.

As soon as he considered it safe, Sebastian began to speak. “He is our mate, isn’t he?”

Marcus nodded. “What are we going to do, Bastian?”

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“We’ll talk to him, see what he thinks,” Sebastian replied. “He needs to know.”

Marcus looked thoughtful. “He probably already suspects. I could see it in his eyes when he came in.”

Sebastian wouldn’t be surprised. Paulie had seen his father mate two spirit wolves. He was bound to understand what it implied.

He sighed. “Well, for now, we can only wait and hope.”

He’d never once relied on mere hope, but the situation was out of his hands. He’d need to be calm if he wanted to make something out of this.

* * * *

The patient’s condition worsened more and more. Paulie and his father did everything they could to boost Ross’s immune system and help him fight the virus, but in the end, their efforts proved to be futile. Their only hope remained the serum, the experimental drug they were so reluctant to use.

There was another problem Paulie feared. The virus had two strains, one that affected spirit wolves who lost control of their beast, the other infecting bitten humans. A few suppositions led them to think cured humans ended up like Linden and Drew, upgraded somehow, whereas cured spirit wolves returned to their original state.

But that was hardly the issue, since they didn’t have a cure. So far, he and his father had figured out the expected results of the serum on feral spirit wolves. They’d never used it on humans before, and for all they knew, they might do more harm than good.