The sword-wielding bear shifter brought the heavy blade down in a swooping arc meant to sever Vlad’s head. Leaning backward, Vlad evaded the blow and slammed his clawed hand into the male’s stomach. A downward tug ripped the shifter open, but having his guts spilling out didn’t stop the other male. He twisted the sword in an attempt to impale Vlad.
Cursing, Vlad arched his body to avoid the tip of the blade, but the exaggerated move left him off-balance. He stumbled. The few seconds allowed the other shifter the chance to swing the blade again, this time aiming for Vlad’s heart.
A hard kick from a booted foot knocked the blade away before it sliced open Vlad’s chest. Vlad didn’t turn to look at the male who’d arrived to help him. Vlad’s wolves recognized him as pack.
Vlad landed on the bear shifter and grabbed his head. With a sharp twist, Vlad snapped the male’s neck.
“Leave him.” Dante shoved Vlad back before he could rip the bear shifter’s head free. “Save your mate before she gets herself killed.”
Vlad pivoted and scanned the hill leading to the area where he’d left Gwen. Instead of remaining with the strongest dominants of their pack, Gwen was running toward the dome enclosing Xander and Eli.
“Gwen!” Vlad yelled a second after Xane did.
She ran into the circle. The walls surrounding the ceremonial circle shattered, sending a shockwave through the ground and buckling the earth under him. He fell, landing on his hip, then lurched to his feet and charged into the open circle.
“Killer!” Gwen screamed the name Eli’s handlers had given him.
Snarling, Eli turned on her. He raised a clawed hand, then hesitated with his gaze locked on Gwen’s face.
“No!” Xander rammed his shoulder into Eli’s side, knocking Eli away from Gwen, but Eli dug his claws into Xander’s thigh and pulled him to the ground.
Vlad screamed a denial. Xander was in a position to lose his head.
Instead of taking it, Eli leapt to his feet and grabbed Gwen’s arms, tearing a screech from her. The sound of Gwen’s pain cut through Vlad.
“Let her go, Eli!” Vlad lunged at Eli, but Xander’s younger brother kicked Vlad back without breaking his grip on Gwen.
Vlad slammed into the ground several yards away, but jumped up in the next heartbeat and rushed forward. Xander got there first. He hooked his arm around Eli’s neck from behind him and choked him. Eli flung his head into Xander’s but couldn’t break his hold. Xander squeezed harder, tearing a sputtering sound from Eli. The move was meant to disable Eli by cutting off his air. Eli’s trembling arms proved it was working.
Vlad reached for Gwen, desperate to free her from Eli’s bruising grip. Eli bared his fangs and tossed her away from him, then spun on Xander with his clawed hand raised. Gwen’s shrill scream carried through the night and froze Eli in place.
Xander shoved past Eli’s rigid body and ran to where Gwen lay unmoving on the edge of the dried-up fountain that had once dominated the center of this village. Her back was arched unnaturally over the short decorative fence edging the top of the fountain.
“Gwen! No!” Xander fell on his knees at her side.
Out of the corner of his vision, Vlad caught sight of Dante, Xane, and Corey rushing toward Eli, but Vlad didn’t wait to see if they restrained him. His gaze zeroed in the liquid pooling on the stone beneath Gwen. The scent of blood filled his lungs, and the anguished cries of Vlad’s wolves filled in the rest of the details.
Eli had tossed Gwen onto the rusty metal posts. They’d impaled her. Her heart still beat, though. They had time to save her.
“I’m going to pull Gwen off these things.” Vlad positioned his hands underneath Gwen on either side of the metal posts lodged into her back.
Warm, thick blood coated his fingers. His pulse kicked up. She was bleeding too much. As soon as he lifted her, her blood would flow quicker. Her heart might stop from the rapid loss.
“We’re going to need to act fast.” Xander echoed his thoughts.
“Yes. We need to hold her soul close.” Vlad looked over his shoulder. “Both of us.”
“We won’t lose her.” Xander nodded toward her. “Now do it.”
Vlad leaned over her and lifted her. A horrid sound escaped her lips, and blood gushed over his hands. His throat squeezed tight. Knowing he’d caused her pain sickened him. He’d make it up to her, every day they lived.
Without wasting another second, he rolled onto his back with Gwen draped over him, then bit her unmarred shoulder. Xander leaned over them and latched on to the bite mark he’d delivered in order to save her life less than a week ago.
Gwen’s soul opened to Vlad, and through her, he touched Xander’s. The wonder of such a connection resonated within Vlad. He acknowledged the beauty of it, but the dimming light in Gwen’s soul forced him to act. He drew Gwen’s pain into himself at the same time Xander did.
“We’re here with you, Gwen.” Xander opened his metaphysical arms to her. “Let us hold you forever.”
“Yes. Never want to lose you.” Gwen reached a hand to Xander and held her other out to Vlad. “Either of you.”
Vlad tightened his hold on Gwen’s hand, drawing her close to him at the same time Xander did. Here, in this metaphysical world, he didn’t suffer the ailments of his physical body or the loss of his hands.
Stretched between them, Gwen groaned but didn’t resist them. With both him and Xander holding her close, her soul wouldn’t slip away. They’d simply have to take turns binding themselves to her.
“Exactly. Gwen is ours to share. The good. The bad. We’ll always face it with her.” Xander claimed a piece of Gwen’s soul, filling in the hole in his.
Pain shot through Gwen to Vlad, tearing a scream from her and a groan from him. He opened himself completely to the agony, drawing it to him and sparing Gwen the worst of the excruciating anguish of soul-bonding. He was panting by the time Xander’s last wolf formed its bond with Gwen.
“Your turn, Vlad. Claim your mate.” Xander opened himself as Vlad had done. “And I will bear the pain for our female now.”
“Are you ready, Gwen?” Vlad whispered the question into her mind.
“Yes, I’m ready. I have been since the day I looked into your eyes.”
Emotions swelled his chest. There were so many things he wished he could’ve done differently and apologies he wanted to make. Eternity wouldn’t be long enough to express his love and gratitude. Gwen could’ve turned her back on him, leaving him forever in the cold.
“But I wouldn’t have been complete. I needed both of your arms around me to support me as I learned to stand on my own.”
“Not to support you, my mate. To catch you if you fell,” Xander said.
“We’ll always be there for you. We love you, Gwen.” Vlad spoke the words he felt reflected in Xander’s soul too.
“Always and forever,” Xander added.
Vlad slipped his mental fingers around Gwen’s soul, claiming a piece as Xander had done, then watched as his wolves did the same. The thick shimmering cords tying their souls to Gwen’s burned with the pure light reflected in Gwen’s soul. The darkness that had hung over Vlad’s soul for centuries lifted.
Gwen exhaled on a soft sigh. Her happiness wrapped around them. Completed them.
Vlad released Gwen’s shoulder, knowing a single thought would be enough to rejoin their minds. Never again would he be alone on the outside looking in.
Xander brushed his fingertips over Gwen’s lips. “I love you, Gwendolyn Annabelle Winchester.”
Gwen’s eyes widened. “Your hands! I thought…I thought they were…”
Xander pulled Gwen into his lap. “We’re powerful together, my mate. The energy of our bond healed both of us.”
She traced Xander’s fingers, then looked at Vlad. “We’re perfect together. A force to be reckoned with.”
Vlad pressed his mouth to hers, sharing air with her for moment before easing back to meet her eyes. “Every member of our pack is strong. We’re survivors. Never forget that.”
Gwen sucked in a rough breath. She leaned past Xander’s body and focused on Eli, who knelt on the dirty, trampled, snow-covered ground between Dante and Xane. Gaze locked on the ground, Eli didn’t acknowledge Gwen’s stare on him or Corey’s touch as she worked to remove the pronged bracelets affixed to his wrists.
Vlad laid a hand on Gwen’s shoulder. “He was trying to save you from Xander. He didn’t mean to hurt you.”
She glanced at Vlad. “I know that.”
“And we’ll convince him of the truth.” Xander stood with Gwen in his arms. “But first we need to get him home without Shifter Affairs learning about him.”
“Why?” Gwen asked.
“We can’t take the chance they’ll take him away from us.” Xander focused on his younger brother. “Because he’s the only one who can stop this from ever happening again.”
Vlad wanted to ask more, but he had a promise to keep. Besides, Xander would explain everything later. If he didn’t, Vlad could simply take the knowledge from his mind.
Scanning the courtyard, Vlad looked for the clear globe Molly had mentioned would be used to capture their pack’s spirit if Xander had lost it. A glint of light dragged Vlad’s attention to the fountain next to them. Perched in the middle, the glass ball looked as if it belonged there. The hum emanating from it gave its mystical purpose away, however.
Vlad snatched it. Energy pricked his fingertips. Cursing from the bite of pain, he hurled the globe far from his pack mates. The ball smashed into the side of a nearby building. Glass rained down on the ground below. No display of magic or release of power rocked the world. Had he not felt the energy contained within the globe, he might’ve mistaken the sphere for something benign.
“You knew?” Curiosity showed in Xander’s expression.
“The orb’s purpose?” At Xander’s nod, Vlad grunted. “Yeah, Molly told me. It was how they’d captured the Leon spirit.”
“Molly…told you?”
Gwen touched Xander’s arm, drawing his attention to her. “Molly shifted once she heard you were in danger. She’s at our home, waiting for us.”
Xander smiled. “She’s acting like an alpha already.”
“Yes.” Gwen matched Xander’s grin. “She’ll be an amazing pride leader.”
Xander nodded, then moved to Vlad’s side. “Come on, let’s get our pack home where we belong.”
Gwen rested her fingertips on Xander’s chin. “Let me talk to Eli first, please.”
They made their way to where Eli knelt on the ground, Corey in front of him, talking to him.
Eli’s nostrils flared. He jerked his head up and zeroed in on Gwen cradled in Xander’s arms. “No! Keep her away.”
“Killer, it’s okay. I’m fine. Xander and Vlad saved me.”
“No.” Eli scrambled back. His wild gaze landed on Xane, who stood to his right, and Dante on his left. “No! Keep her away from me. Keep her away!”
Dante closed the distance between them and gripped Eli’s shoulder. “No problem, Red. I’ll make sure she doesn’t come anywhere near you.”
Eli nodded, relief stamped on his face. Both males turned and moved toward the outskirts of town. Xane and Corey trailed behind, no doubt to intervene if Dante needed help restraining Eli.
Gwen groaned. She buried her face against Xander’s chest. “He thinks he’s a danger to me.”
That’d be Vlad’s guess too. Only time and patience would prove Eli wrong. “Give him a chance to adjust. He’ll come around. If he doesn’t, we’ll figure out a way to help him.”
“You’re right. Winchesters never give up on each other.” A determined look replaced the troubled one she’d worn moments ago.
“Exactly.” Xander kissed her cheek. “And for now, let’s head out. We have a mating celebration to plan.”
“Do we?” Brow raised, Gwen looked from Xander to Vlad.
Vlad shrugged. He’d assumed they’d have something but didn’t know what.
“Yes, we do, and I predict it’ll be”—Xander grinned—“entertaining.”
“As long as we’re together, it will be.” With her gaze locked on Vlad, Gwen rested her head against Xander’s chest. Hunger slid into her eyes. “I have complete faith in my mates to make it memorable.”
Vlad skimmed his fingers over Gwen’s leg. He allowed a matching carnal need to show in his eyes. Gwen’s nostrils flared, and a small naughty grin flitted over her plump lips. Vlad stepped closer to her, hiding her reaction from their pack mates. Not every encounter would be shared. Some things belonged between the three of them.
“We’ll do our best to satisfy you.” Vlad raised his gaze to his friend, his partner, and his other mate. “Won’t we?”
“Every day of our lives,” Xander answered.
“That’s the best thing I’ve ever heard.” Gwen linked her fingers with Vlad’s.
With his true mate’s hand in his and his best friend forever a part of his life, Vlad couldn’t agree more.