Chapter 35 - Gage

Chapter 35

Gage

When at long last the walls of Moonblessed rose before me through the windshield, I breathed a sigh of relief. At last, the Howling Echo would be reunited.

I chafed at every delay, so I was glad when Hugo and Idori promised to see me tomorrow. Even though they were expecting me, I sent another quick message and rolled down my window so that the guards waved us through the gate.

Bretton had insisted I take a small ‘honor guard' with me, so I'd been forced to put up with two of my Frost Fang packmates for the whole journey. I didn't doubt Bea and Ivar's loyalty after the interrogations they'd been through, but that didn't mean I wanted to spend time with them.

The small talk on the drive only made me all the more eager to return to the company of my true pack, though Bea and Ivar had been friendly enough. It was a small surprise to me that Bretton hadn't sent a mated pair with me, but perhaps Bretton considered babysitting the pack alpha to be a penance for their previous failures.

As night fell on the drive through town, I sent a message to Flint.

Gage:

Take Freya out for a run. I'll meet you as soon as I can shake my guards.

Flint:

Are things with Frost Fang so bad you're a prisoner now?

Gage:

Funny

I followed that up with a rolling-eye icon. Then I explained:

Gage:

Bretton insisted it was so I could get some sleep on the drive over

Flint:

I'll have to remember to thank him... Wouldn't want our pack alpha to arrive all sleep deprived and grumpy.

Gage:

No promises on the grumpy part. See you in the woods.

I would ditch these two at the guest house before I caught up with the Howling Echo. Somehow I sensed that my reunion with Freya might be a little… rocky. And I didn't want to show any weakness in front of Frost Fang wolves. Nor Moonblessed wolves, for that matter. At long last, we reached the guest house, and Bea parked.

It occurred to me then that I really should thank Bretton for the suggestion. Back when Ironwood had demanded Moonblessed give up Freya, we had followed her into the wildlands in our wolf forms, leaving the Howling Echo's truck and Jeep behind. But now when it came time to leave, Bea and Ivar could drive the Frost Fang vehicles, while Flint and I could take our old vehicles.

"Unpack everything," I ordered Bea and Ivar. "I'm going to debrief with… our other packmates."

I'd almost said ‘the Howling Echo,' but I couldn't let any Frost Fang wolf know I still considered the Howling Echo a separate pack. As the alpha of two packs, I should be fostering pack cohesion.

As I walked toward the den that Hugo and Idori had assigned to us long ago, every Moonblessed wolf who greeted me wore at my patience. But like a good guest, I put on a polite smile and returned their greetings. As an alpha, I could've warned them off easily enough, but this wasn't my packlands, and I wanted to stay on Hugo and Idori's good sides. I'd promised to catch up with them tomorrow when the alpha pair had time for a visiting pack alpha in their schedule.

Stepping through the doorway into our den felt more like coming home than anywhere else ever had. I took in a deep breath, scenting Flint, Freya, and the faintest whiff of Rowan. The absence of Heath's scent had my wolf whining inside of my mind.

When I went upstairs, I noticed they'd kept a room vacant for me and put my stuff in there. Then I undressed and stuffed my clothing and a gun into my sling bag. I planned to make my way through Moonblessed in my wolf form, which would invite fewer interactions.

Just the idea of going on a pack run with Freya at my side sent shivers of anticipation up and down my spine.

Naked, I closed the front door behind me, locked up, and shifted. By now, the half-lit moon trailed overhead as all traces of day faded, the perfect time for a pack run. As soon as my paw landed on the other side of the Moonblessed wall, a wave of uncertainty struck me.

What if, when I met Freya's wolf for the first time, she didn't choose me as her mate? It wasn't the full moon, so it wouldn't prove anything, but I felt desperate for her wolf's acceptance.

My wolf pushed into the forefront, and I took some measure of comfort from the fact that he didn't feel a drop of anxiety. He longed to meet his mate for the first time, to see his mark upon her, and to—

An unexpected scent teased my nostrils, and I lifted my muzzle to get a better whiff. They'd told me Freya was in heat again, and the instant desire that washed over me even in wolf form had me picking up speed. Through the mate bond, I could sense her up ahead, and the thickening of her delicious scent only confirmed it.

My wolf rushed forward even as my human side hesitated. Maybe I was a coward for suggesting our reunion take place in wolf form where our wolves were more in control than our human sides. But I also longed to see Freya's wolf with my own eyes. The others had warned me that I would be surprised, so I wasn't sure what to expect.

As I emerged from the trees into a small clearing, my gaze fell first on the massive, black wolf in the waning moonlight. Rowan's golden eyes stared me down for a moment before averting his gaze for his pack alpha. Flint's head swung toward me, and the moonmark on his forehead reminded me that he, too, was a special breed, marked by the moon goddess herself.

But then a small, delicate wolf stepped from between them, and I knew then that Freya was something else altogether. Lightning crackled along the tips of her pure white fur, from her tail up to her shoulders. An arc struck her up-turned ears as she turned toward me, and I internally winced. But when those snow-blue eyes met my wolf's, I knew her lightning wouldn't hurt her… or us.

For a moment, I stood in awe of this otherworldly creature, who looked more like a spirit than any wolf I'd ever seen. Her white fur held an undertone of the same snow-blue as her eyes, and the lightning crackling along her fur slowly subsided like the passing of a summer thunderstorm.

Boldly, I stepped from the trees into the moonlight to greet my mate. She bounded toward me, and all my hesitation slipped away.

"Gage!" The joy in her mental voice made my heart expand in gratitude. I'd found my mate, and she accepted me.

Our foreheads met, and I nuzzled my snout along hers. For a moment we sniffed one another, rubbing along each other's bodies, leaving our scents on each other's coats.

"I've missed you, princess," I confessed.

"Same," she agreed with a pleasant laugh that echoed around in my head. "I know we have a lot to talk about but… the night is young. Shall we go for a run, alpha?"

If I'd been in my human form, it would have turned me on when she asked for permission, but my wolf cared more about the idea of going on a pack run. In answer, I raised my head and howled. My packmates' voices joined my own, though one voice was absent.

Lowering my muzzle, I looked around. Through the pack bond, I searched for him, finding him far away.

"I hate that Heath didn't join you."

Freya disappointment mixed with pride as she responded, "I understand why he stayed behind. He'll meet us in Frost Fang soon."

Yet my heart fell. I hadn't realized how much I'd longed to run with my pack — the entire Howling Echo — until just then. If I really stopped to admit it, I'd missed Heath as much as Freya. We'd been best friends since childhood, totally inseparable, and being apart from him this long felt… wrong.

My disappointment transformed into anger in a flash. It was an old habit, trained into me by my father, the callous pack alpha of Frost Fang, but knowing that didn't help me turn it aside. Things were already strained between Freya and me. I didn't need my alpha temper making them worse.

"Let's run," I growled, unable to get a better handle on my anger just yet. The run would help.

The novel experience of running with my mate quickly shed those negative feelings. I reveled in the moment, letting the night air fill my lungs as we nimbly ran through the wildlands like they were our packlands. With my mate at my side and my packmates at my back, I felt invincible.

Freya's unfettered joy and relief flooded the mate bond, pleasing me and proving that we could work things out between us. Yet in the pack bond, I sensed hesitation from Flint and a totally unfamiliar emotion, something I never expected to feel from Rowan, something akin to… fear?

I flooded the pack bond with reassurance and tried to figure out how to broach the topic of him and Freya. That had to be what had him worried. But Freya nipped my shoulder and took off at a total gallop across the clearing ahead. She couldn't sense what I did in the pack bond — or even the mate bond — and I found myself longing to resolve that issue at last as I tore off after her.

Now that Freya had her wolf, she could bite and claim me in return, solidifying our mate bond. And as the equal mate of the pack alpha, that would make us the alpha pair even though she wasn't an alpha herself. I wasn't sure yet if a non-alpha hybrid like her would be able to sense the pack bond the same way, but we would find out together.

Even the light of the half-lit moon made Freya's coat glow magnificently. Until now, Heath's silver-white coat was the lightest I'd ever seen. Freya's snow-white fur gave her an ethereal look in the moonlight as I caught up to her on my longer legs. Just as I was about to return her little nip, she shifted back.

But as a new shifter, she hadn't expected her momentum to continue as her body changed shape, and she tripped over her own feet. I shed my fur and caught her mid-air, shielding her as we tumbled to the ground together.

With my arms around her naked waist, my human body responded, growing hard for her. I'd been away from my mate for far too long, and running with her had only made me hungrier for her. I desperately wanted to consummate our mate bond.

"Freya, I never meant — I don't want to keep you from your other mates. I hope you know that it's okay for you to be with all of us."

She pulled back with a smile, her snow-blue eyes full of shining joy.

"I'm glad to hear you say that," she said as she gestured at her collarbone, where two runes rested side-by-side. And as she sat up, her legs around my waist, I caught sight of a bite mark on her breast.

"Heath," I growled. "I told him—"

She put a finger over my lips, and the alpha in me wanted to chomp at her.

"He knows you won't be upset at him for claiming me. I claimed him in return."

"Good girl."

Her eyes lit up at my words, and I felt heat build between her thighs. Which reminded me…

"He better be back in time for your heat," I growled.

That was apparently a good thing to say, because Freya leaned down and kissed me. My arms wrapped around her back as her long, moon-white hair shrouded us. Crushing her to me, I didn't hesitate to swipe my tongue across her lips and gain entry.

I devoured her, pouring all of my pent-up desire for her into this one kiss. Her hips rocked against me, and my length rubbed along her ass.

Flint shifted back, and pulled a blanket from his sling bag. He spread it on the ground beside us, then sat down on it, his back straight, his mouth quirking up in a daring smile as he looked at Freya.

My heart expanded at the look of love on his face. He held no reservations and never questioned Freya's feelings for him, even when he realized she might have multiple mates. It was his alpha confidence that made him seem so powerful in that moment, like a rock in a river, unmoving.

Freya lunged from me to him, wrapping her arms and legs around him like she hadn't seen him for days. Her mouth met his in a searing kiss that almost made me jealous since they'd been together all this time.

I pushed out that unhelpful emotion, rising to my knees to join them on the blanket. Then I glanced over at the giant black wolf guarding us at the forest's edge.

"Join us, Rowan," I called as I slid my hands around Freya's naked waist once more.

She broke her kiss with Flint to glare over at Rowan. "There's your alpha's blessing that you've been waiting so long for."

My eyebrows shot up in surprise at her angry tone of voice.

"I thought I was the only one in the dog house," I murmured, kissing along the back of her shoulder. "Has Rowan been holding back this entire time?"

Freya let out a sigh, but it was Flint who answered with a grin. "She broke his resolve once or twice."

That told me all I needed to know about Rowan's feelings toward her.

I slid my hand up to cup her breast, but directed my words at Rowan. "Then you should give our mate what she craves: All of us."

Rowan approached, still in his wolf form, as Freya leaned back against my chest. My hands slid lower, and she let out a low moan when my fingers found her wetness.

As much as I craved my mate, I also craved making things right between us and finding harmony in our pack.

"She's already so wet for us," I told my packmates as I became hard as steel, trapped between Freya's body and my own.

Flint crawled toward us, and began caressing Freya's perfect skin that almost seemed to glow in the moonlight. His darker hands covered her breasts, and he bent his head to kiss her as my fingers teased along her wet core.

Freya moaned, and I dipped my fingers inside. She stiffened against me, and I whispered, "Relax, we have all night."

As Flint worked her nipples and kissed along her neck, I focused on the moans we elicited from her. I desperately wanted to be inside of her. I would refuse to come until she bit me at last. But first, more than anything, I wanted to make her come for us.

With my fingers moving relentlessly in and out of her, Freya's breathing became more and more ragged.

"That's it, moonbeam," Flint whispered in her ear.

He bit down on her earlobe just as I ordered her, "Let Rowan see how much you love his attention."

Flint pulled back so she could see her newest mate, still in wolf form. Freya's hips rocked against my hand as I fucked her with my fingers, putting her on display. I wrapped my arm tight around her ribs, pulling her against me so she could feel how strongly I desired her, showing her I could be patient.

Except when it came to making her come. Then I had no patience at all.

"Come for us, princess."

Freya's hips bucked, and she let out a savage cry, her head thrown back against me as I kept her pinned to my chest. Flint sucked one of her nipples into his mouth, and I felt her inner walls clench on my fingers as she came. The scent of her heat poured off of her, and as soon as she finished, I brought my lips to my mouth, sucking each one.

"You taste amazing," I growled.

As soon as I released my grip, she pulled away from me. She got on all fours, then looked over her shoulder at me with a smirk. Those luscious lips fell open, and I paused with my hand on my cock, waiting for her invitation. But a low growl from Rowan caught her attention, and we all looked toward the big wolf.

I expected Rowan to shift at last, but instead, he walked away, his tail toward us. My heart sank as Freya stiffened, her disappointment smashing into me through the mate bond. But just then, an equally strong emotion slammed into me through the pack bond from Rowan.

Pure hatred.

Rowan let out a more ferocious growl as he faced the deep wildlands.

"Something's wrong." I moved between Freya and whatever threat Rowan seemed to notice that none of the rest of us could sense.

He charged across the clearing toward the woods. A ball of crackling blue flame soared from the darkness of the forest, lighting up the entire clearing in a blue glow. Rowan dodged to the side, but the blue flame lit the ground between us in a wall, separating us from him.

"Rowan!" Freya cried.

A cadre of witches marched forward, their hands moving to cast more spells as the fire spread, circling Rowan and cutting him off completely. The blue flame rose so high, I couldn't even see the massive wolf behind them.

"Give up the half-breed girl, and we'll let you mangy shifters go," one of the witches called as they approached.

I let out an involuntary growl at the witch's haughty command. No one told a pack of alphas like the Howling Echo what to do, and no one stood a chance of taking away our mate again.

But just in case, I sent a summons through the pack bond to Bea and Ivar. With it, I let slip a little of my fear at facing witches, a wolf shifter's worst enemy. They were too far away for me to talk to through the pack bond, even if I shifted. I hoped sensing their pack alpha's fear would convince them to bring backup from Moonblessed.

Freya froze when she saw who was with the witches. "Pandora, leave them alone."

"It's good to see you again, niece. Surrender, and we'll let your lovers live." The older witch lowered her chin as her eyes lit up with magic. "Or don't, and we'll have a little fun."