Two Mates for a Magistrate (10 page)

And then, a flash of light swallowed him, making the world melt into something beautiful and pure. Fritz heard Wolfram call out to
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him, and his mate’s power surrounded him. In spite of the pain, he could focus once again. He recovered just in time to see the wolf that had bitten him fly off him, struck by an unseen force.

To his shock, he realized that at some point Wolfram had changed from his black wolf form into something else, an almost ghostly looking white wolf that irradiated energy. Joseph looked even more monstrous, having grown significantly, his eyes shining with clear malice. Dietrich had defeated his enemy and turned to his normal form. Angry magic swirled around them, lashing out at the ferals.

“You get the fuck away from them!” Dietrich shouted.

Faced with the combined power of Wolfram and Dietrich, Joseph backed down. He leaped onto the altar and through the beautiful windows, making his escape.

* * * *

For half a second, Wolfram considered following after Joseph.

The man had proven he was extremely dangerous, more dangerous than any feral Wolfram ever encountered. In fact, his power rivaled Wolfram’s. But Wolfram had other priorities now, namely his injured mate and subordinates.

He shifted and rushed to Fritz’s side, just as the human struggled to his feet. Fritz’s shoulder looked torn apart, and he almost fell over, but Wolfram caught him just in time. “I’m fine,” Fritz told him, even if it was clearly a lie. “Check on Marcus and Sebastian.”

Dietrich appeared by their side, and Wolfram handed their mate to the other wolf. He felt torn between his duty and his heart, but he couldn’t afford to hesitate. Every second was precious.

Fritz might not know it, but Wolfram had seen Marcus’s injuries before the battle started. He didn’t even know for sure the man would survive. Sebastian seemed to have fared better, and he padded with Wolfram behind the altar, where Marcus’s unconscious body lay.

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Wolfram’s heart fell at the sight of the many wounds covering Marcus. He took a deep breath and sent a prayer to the Spirit Mother.

His age and experience gave him a great control over his powers as a spirit wolf. Even if he couldn’t heal per se, he did have the ability to boost Marcus’s own spiritual essence. He only hoped Marcus would be receptive to the treatment. Sometimes, the wounds warriors received in battle went beyond Wolfram’s aid.

Sebastian turned into his human form and took Marcus’s hand.

Distantly, Wolfram wondered if the two men could be more than friends. To his knowledge, they were not mates. They had not notified him of any mating bond between them as tradition requested. Then again, Sebastian had always been somewhat unusual, always doing things his own way. To a certain extent, Wolfram felt thankful for the clear affection between the two men. It would give Marcus an anchor and prevent him from surrendering the battle.

Wolfram allowed his energies to flow over Marcus, flooding the other man’s soul with his own spirit. He felt Marcus open up to him, sensed Sebastian right there with him, helping Marcus along. Finally, Marcus’s injuries began to mend, and not a moment too soon.

Wolfram started to feel drained, the power he’d used during the battle with Joseph wearing him down.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Marcus had recovered consciousness. Sebastian hugged Marcus’s head, holding him tight.

Wolfram left the men to their reunion, renewed urgency coursing through him. He swooned a bit as weakness assaulted him. Turning into his spiritual form and helping Marcus drained him of his powers.

Wolfram suspected a week ago, before meeting his mates, he might not have been able to do both. The connection helped him, and in his same bond, Wolfram found the strength to steady himself. His human remained injured, bitten by a feral, and Wolfram needed to be by Fritz’s side.

Intellectually, Wolfram knew he could not heal Fritz the way he’d done with Marcus. He understood Marcus might have died if he’d
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waited even a moment. But that didn’t change the guilt he felt over abandoning Fritz to his pain, to the risk of death.

Dietrich had seated Fritz on one of the benches and threw Wolfram a concerned gaze. Fritz didn’t seem worried at all. When Wolfram joined them on the bench, Fritz smiled. His hair clung to his forehead in sweaty clumps and lines of pain creased his face, but at the same time, he looked at peace. “Are they all right?”

Wolfram nodded, swallowing around the knot in his throat. He recalled the time Linden had been severely injured. Back then, the young human’s mates claimed him with a double bite, healing him in the process. According to Andrew Blunt, the double bite could also fight feral venom. Wolfram hadn’t actually witnessed it, but he trusted the doctor. At this point, he didn’t have much choice but to do so anyway.

“We have to bite him,” he told Dietrich.

Dietrich gaped at him. “You can’t be serious. It’ll only make things worse. He needs a doctor.”

Wolfram didn’t have time to explain. He didn’t think he could.

His own doubts weighed on his heart, and Dietrich undoubtedly felt them. Even if they hadn’t claimed Fritz, the two of them were bonded.

To his surprise, Fritz piped in. “It will be fine, Dietrich.” Beads of sweat dewed his forehead, but his eyes were clear, and his voice certain. “I might have trouble accepting this, but you are the best thing that happened to me. I trust you.”

Wolfram hesitated briefly and glanced toward Dietrich. What if the other wolf was right and they’d make things worse? For all accounts, what Wolfram had seen before could be just an anomaly.

And then, a calm, soothing presence invaded his mind, pushing away his misgivings. For the first time, Wolfram acknowledged their location. He might not share a faith with the humans, but the Spirit Mother never abandoned them. She’d guided his steps to Dietrich and Fritz. This was the right thing to do.

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Dietrich seemed to experience the same realization. Of common accord, they leaned over Fritz and positioned their mouths over each side of their mate’s neck. They bit down at the same time. At first, the blood bore the distinct traces of the feral venom. But beneath it, Fritz’s strength lingered, and their mate clung to them, unrelenting, urging them forward. The bond between mates cemented, spiritual energy crackling between their three minds. In that amazing moment, no boundaries existed between them. They were one, their power limitless, their souls melding together for all time.

Fritz’s blood cleared of all corruption, until all that remained was his mate’s delicious flavor. Feelings and sensations flooded him, and the fear diminished, leaving behind only lust and love. He ached to claim Fritz, to bring their bodies together, but he couldn’t.

Wolfram removed his mouth from his mate’s neck and licked the wound. Now was not the moment for such thoughts, not in a church and most definitely not with his mate recovering from a feral bite.

Wolfram still couldn’t be one hundred percent certain the double bite had the desired effect. They’d have to be careful until they made sure Fritz’s injury healed completely.

As Dietrich echoed his actions, their eyes met, and Wolfram saw in them the same relief he felt. He’d have liked to stay with his mates, but he needed to contact Klaus and Doctor Blunt at once to arrange for further treatment for the injured and take care of the ferals who’d been left behind by Joseph. He was still concerned over what had become of the men Klaus originally sent after him.

“Come on,” he told his mates. “We have to get out of here.”

He left Fritz in Dietrich’s hold and scanned the cathedral for the tattered remains of their clothing. He grabbed everything in a bundle and tossed it to Sebastian after making sure everything was there. It wouldn’t do to leave anything behind. As far as he could tell, his cell phone miraculously survived, and it held information that could be very dangerous in the wrong hands.

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Then, he picked up the bodies of the three remaining ferals. Even in his anger, Wolfram had done his best to at least keep the ferals alive, and the only one who'd ended up dead was the one killed by Fritz. Even as he acknowledged the necessity of the battle, Wolfram ached inside, realizing that this death, like many others, was caused by his own inability to help his people.

Wolfram shook himself, knowing he needed to be strong for his mates. He helped Dietrich put the dead body on his shoulder. They couldn’t exactly abandon it there for the humans to find.

Together, they made their way out of the cathedral and headed back to Fritz’s apartment. Once they reached relative safety, Wolfram proceeded to contact Klaus. The man sounded both relieved and glum. So far he hadn’t found out any news of the missing soldiers. He didn’t seem very optimistic either, and Wolfram admitted he felt the same. Joseph must have more ferals at his beck and call. Klaus’s reinforcements could be the reason why there had been only four additional enemies in the church.

“We’re sending more troops now, My Lord,” Klaus finished.

“Stay safe.”

Wolfram thanked his friend and ended the call. By now, Sebastian had taken Marcus to sleep in the bedroom, aided by a much recovered Fritz. The double bite seemed to have worked, and the human moved and prepared the bed for Marcus with striking ease. Wolfram sent another prayer of thanks to the Spirit Mother for helping them see the solution. He vowed that when Joseph reappeared—for, doubtlessly, the feral would return—they would be ready. Never again would Wolfram cower in fear or struggle against nightmares. From now on, his mates would be by his side, and together, they could overcome whatever came their way.

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Of common accord, it was decided Dietrich would be the one to keep guard until morning. He’d escaped the confrontation unscathed and had not used as much power as Wolfram. His lover looked like he might fall over any moment now, something that didn’t surprise Dietrich, given all the spiritual energy Wolfram exhausted during and after the battle. Neither of them had been injured severely, but that didn’t mean Joseph couldn’t attack again.

Fritz and Wolfram went to sleep on the couch in the living room, while Sebastian and Marcus took the bedroom. While the others rested, Dietrich considered what he’d learned. It still made Dietrich sick to the stomach to think his own father could become such a monster.

From what Wolfram told him about ferals, Dietrich managed to make some sense of the situation. Joseph must have lost control of the wolf shortly after the departure from Trier, and because of this, he’d never returned. Joseph had been right about one thing, though.

Dietrich now understood why his mother insisted so much on keeping the beast inside him perpetually leashed. In the end, her advice didn’t help. Instead, it just limited his use of both his magic and the wolf. If he’d accepted his abilities, he might’ve been more prepared for the moment when the beast broke free, but of course, she couldn’t have known that. Dietrich was just thankful Wolfram had been there for him in his time of need.

Memories flashed through his mind, of his childhood, the few years he’d lived by his father’s side, here in Trier. He’d admired the man so much and had been awed at his ability to change forms. There
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was nothing left of that man now, nothing left of their family. But Dietrich could build a new one, with his two mates. The bond between them strengthened with each passing moment. He’d never be alone again.

Deep in his musings, Dietrich kept watch all throughout the night, his senses always open even as his mind wandered. At last, just as dawn broke over the Moselle, Dietrich felt a heavy presence approach. It didn’t seem hostile, or familiar, but he couldn’t be certain, not anymore. He admitted he didn’t know what he’d feel when he saw Joseph next.

He got up and decided to notify his mate. As much as he’d have liked to let Wolfram sleep more, the other wolf needed to know.

Before he could do so, Wolfram woke, and through their connection, Dietrich sensed the exact moment when his mate processed what was going on.

Wolfram slipped off the couch and joined Dietrich. He squeezed Dietrich’s shoulder in a comforting gesture. “It’s all right. It’s only Klaus.”

Dietrich admitted he felt a bit apprehensive over the famous Klaus. While he knew Klaus had been Wolfram’s friend and companion for many centuries, this closeness made him jealous.

Wolfram’s smile reassured him. “It’s nice to see you so protective, but you really don’t need to. Klaus is not my mate. You and Fritz are.”

Dietrich acknowledged Wolfram’s words with a nod. A knock sounded at the door. After Wolfram confirmed again it was safe, Dietrich opened it. Outside, a handsome spirit wolf waited, and smiled warmly at Dietrich. “Hello. I am Klaus Fleischer.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Dietrich smiled tightly. “I’m Dietrich. Come in.”

He stepped aside, and Klaus slipped into the apartment. As soon as the man saw Wolfram, he lit up like a proverbial Christmas tree.

“My Lord, I’m so relieved to see you’re all right.”

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“Thank you, Klaus,” Wolfram replied. “What news of the others?”

Klaus’s expression turned dark and foreboding. “I’m afraid they were attacked on the way here. There are many casualties. Those who survived reported a large number of ferals assaulting them.”

“This is very worrisome. Ferals have never grouped together before.” Wolfram sighed. “We’ll have to deal with this issue as soon as possible. For now, this is my mate, Dietrich Dupont.”

Dietrich wouldn’t have thought it possible, but Klaus’s body turned even tenser. “Oh, I didn’t realize,” he said. “Congratulations, My Lord, Mister Dupont.”

“Thank you,” Dietrich murmured.

“Our other mate is currently resting,” Wolfram continued. “You’ll meet him later.”