Part 2
Pack Dalton
"Owe." Sebastian's head felt as though he'd rammed it into a wall half a dozen times as he tried to lift it off the table. The smell of cleanser assailed him as he became more aware and made him feel as though he were about to vomit. On top of everything else, he'd embarrass himself by losing his shit all over the place. Everything came rushing back in a wave of memory. Mate. His mate. He'd found his mate! Immediately Sebastian reached out with his mind for the ethereal link that bonded them together. It beat steady. At least there was that. His mate, whoever he was, was alive.
"Easy." The gentle voice belonged to Blaine Anderson, the pack's doctor, his roommate, and Sebastian's ex-crush. That meant the pack had found him in the woods and taken him to medical. "You were pretty dehydrated."
If the pack had found Sebastian, it meant they'd found his mate too. "Where is he? Is he ok?" Again Sebastian tried to remove himself from the bed, this time he sat up enough to swing his legs over the side.
"So I was right. Your mate was injured and you bonded him so he'd use you to heal." Blaine was shaking his head slowly, half in judgement and half disbelief. "That was a pretty stupid thing to do." He admonished Sebastian's actions instead of answering the question. "You could have killed yourself."
Sebastian slid off the table and pulled the IV line out of his arm, an act that earned him a reproachful huff from Doctor Blaine. "Get back in bed."
"No."
"Listen to me Sebastian, you went through a lot, your body needs to recover…" Blaine's voice lowered to a whisper as he moved closer and tried to coax Sebastian back to the medical bed. "And Wes already suspects that you forced this mating. You need to give this some time. The penalty for a forced mating is pretty harsh." Blaine's eyes got ultra-expressive; the same eyes Sebastian used to think were dreamy. "Wes could kill you. I mean he probably wouldn't. You might just get banished…"
"Because that's somehow better." Sebastian tried to smirk, but couldn't. His head hurt too much and he was too irritated. Fuck this. If Sebastian's mate was in pack hands it probably wouldn't end well for the mate. That meant Sebastian was needed. "Where. Is. He." Sebastian gritted his teeth and his green eyes went luminescent.
"Okay. Okay. I'd forgotten how temperamental newly mated wolves could be." Blaine let Sebastian go and put his hands up in a small gesture of submission. The man had mated Kurt the year before, not long after Sebastian's arrival to Dalton. Now he was acting as if he were an old, mated wolf. "He's in lockup."
The close contact was resumed, this time by Sebastian who lifted the smaller wolf off the ground. "What!" Lock up was Dalton's own drunk tank, a cell that served as a kind of time-out place for wolves who got out of hand. "Why?"
"What? Put me down! How am I supposed to know? I'm in charge of treating you! Your pack, he's not. We found you both unconscious with blood all over you. Only no one had open wounds, and he's freshly marked. Jeff said he reeked of you. Everyone's scrambling trying to figure out what happened." Sebastian had slowly put Blaine down and his eyes were back to their normal bright green. "He's alive. Okay? He's healthy. I made sure of it before they took him." Blaine swallowed hard as he spoke, "Let Wes and David handle this. They'll question him…and…If he accepts you, then no pack laws have been broken." There was a pause where it looked as though Blaine was searching for words that weren't a lie. "Probably."
The wolf inside Sebastian was clawing to go find its mate, but the man in him saw reason. And he was still so dizzy. With a grunt Sebastian sat back down on the bed and let Blaine examine him. "There has to be something I can do."
"You sound like Kurt." Blaine was shining light in Sebastian's eyes and ears which perked up at the news. "As soon as he heard you had a mate, he went to see the counsel." Blaine cleared his throat and took the stethoscope from around his neck so he could listen to Sebastian's lungs. How many times had Sebastian imagined those careful hands touching him? Too many. It always ended the same way, with Sebastian a sticky, sweaty mess in his bed like a teenager. That dream had ended when Blaine found his mate. Now this beautiful man was touching his bare chest and all Sebastian could think about was getting out of there. The man he'd rescued in the ravine needed him.
"Kurt hates me. You might as well start writing my eulogy." Sebastian muttered as he allowed the examination.
"No no. That's not true. Well, okay, maybe it's true, but no one wants to see you safely mated more than Kurt does. Trust me; he's on your side this time." Blaine always looked so sincere and his voice so soothing. It was hard to mistrust someone like that. Could Kurt, of all people, really be on his side?
There was a constant dull ache between his ears that made it hard to think much less let the reality of the situation sink in. If Dalton's pack leader decided he was guilty of breaking pack law, he could be banished or Wes and the council could decide to make an example of him. What would become of his mate if that happened?
On top of everything else was the knowledge that his mate, whoever he was, was a half breed. If the pack didn't know that already, they would soon enough. Half breeds were often mistrusted among pure blooded packs because of their strange abilities that varied from wolf to wolf. They were hunted, more often than not, by their own kind. Dalton was one of the few packs in the country who took in mixed blood wolves, but the wolf in question had to be willing to abide by pack law. The third scenario was the one Sebastian was most hopeful for, the one where his mate accepted the mark and the mating as fate. But there was no way to know if that would happen. Then what? Sebastian hadn't had any practice relationships to draw experience from. Under the tree roots, things had seemed so black and white. Protect the mate. That had been sorted, but now what? What the hell was he supposed to do now that he was a mated wolf? The words came back to him once again, protect the mate, and Sebastian held fast to them because it was all he had.
One hour later, his headache gone and Blaine busy with other things, Sebastian gave in to the clawing instinct that he was needed and slipped quietly out of the clinic. Mated wolves were linked through their bond, and while basic communication wasn't possible that he knew of, strong emotions came through loud and clear. It made the bond into a very primitive two-way radio. One mate could sense if the other were in extreme pain or danger, for example. At the moment, all Sebastian could sense was agitation and anger. He picked a roundabout path to the Dalton building that served as a professional hub for the pack leaders...and the cell that held his mate.
~Pack Dalton Holding~
"Let me the fuck out!" Sebastian could hear the yelling from down the hall along with the bang of fists against metal bars. The smell of his mate was heavy in the air and the mating bond between them danced like a live wire. At least that explained why his wolf had forced him to leave medical. The wolf needed to calm its mate. "Now!" The man in the cell roared, and the beta wolf in charge of guarding him looked bewildered.
"Oh now you feel like talking? You didn't have much to say when Wes was here. Pissing off the pack leader and tossing your lunch all over him isn't the best way to introduce yourself!" The guard snipped and Sebastian immediately wanted to rip the man's head off. The beta was new to Pack Dalton, he was small with dark hair and brown eyes. What was his name? Ken? Len? Not that it mattered. Sebastian would be on his mate's side of any argument. Another wave of anger came down the bond, and it took less than a second to figure out the emotion he was feeling didn't belong to him. It was bleed-over from his angry mate. The functionality of a mating bond wasn't unfamiliar to Sebastian, but the ethereal connection channeled into him with such raw force, that he thought maybe he needed to study up on mate bonding a bit more. His emotions were being overshadowed by stronger ones. The man in the cage must have been alpha material.
The guard looked at Sebastian and did a double take. "Shit." Sebastian readied himself for a fight. The guard would surely try to get rid of him while Wes and David did an interrogation. Instead, the guard walked right by Sebastian as if he were relieved someone else was there. "You deal with him then, if he's yours." The guard said and disappeared down the hall. That probably meant the man was going to inform Wes of this new development. That irritated Sebastian more than anything else had. How dare they presume to keep him from his mate?
"Who the fuck are you?"
Sebastian snapped his head in the direction of the agitated voice. God this guy was livid, and gorgeous. So, so gorgeous. It hadn't been that obvious before when the man was bleeding out with mud and water all over him. But damn, had fate smiled down on Sebastian or what! Swallowing back a dozen snarky replies, he stepped forward. "You didn't tell them anything then?" Sebastian took a confident stance on the opposite side of the bars from his mate, crossed his arms in front of himself and sent a wave of energy along the bond, trying to balance the anger with something else.
His mate, was looking at Sebastian with the most quizzical expression, as if he didn't understand what was happening and then rubbed at the mating mark on his shoulder. Someone had covered the mark with a bandage. The man's anger seemed to waver a moment, but the venom lingered in his words. "You're a regular Sherlock Holmes. Your parents must be so proud."
"I do alright." There were so many things Sebastian wanted to know, but where to start? A name maybe? A pick up line? "Why were those men trying to kill you? They didn't seem like garden variety poachers." He asked instead.
"You didn't answer my question."
"You didn't answer mine." Sebastian pointed out and asked another. "What's your name?"
"What's yours?" The man bit out the question and gripped the bars of the cell as he stepped closer.
This time Sebastian could feel the full front of emotions that ebbed and flowed behind his mate's eyes. This guy, whatever his name was, had major issues with being locked in that cell. Only it wasn't showing on his face. Instead, his mate's facial expression seemed calm and passive, as if he didn't care one way or the other. Sebastian could feel the false bravado going up, trying to shut him and everyone else out. How cute. His mate had walls. Well, Sebastian was a climber.
The thought of his own mate being a challenge, and the opportunity for one last seduction had Sebastian smirking more like a cat than a wolf. "You know." He said slowly and stepped a bit closer, "there are no secrets between us anymore." After a moment of simply taking in that beautiful, and still angry, face, he sent a soothing wave down the mating bond; Sebastian's own signature energy always carried a slight sexual charge. He smiled from the corners of his lips and let the expression drift lazily into a smirk. It was probably wrong to enjoy the confusion on his mate's face as he dealt with the conflict of interest, but Sebastian had never been accused of being benevolent.
His man in the cell seemed disoriented for a moment, and tightened his jawline. The gesture only served to make him look even more handsome. And this guy, Sebastian really needed to learn his name, was stacked like a brick house. Fate had chosen this person for him. It was too tempting for Sebastian to give in and let his eyes roam down his mate's well-sculpted body. Most wolves were solidly built, but this man was an Adonis among Adonis'. Someone had given him a too small white t-shirt and he still wore his muddy jeans. Under other circumstances, Sebastian would be celebrating the fact that he was hitting the mate jackpot. And if he hadn't been all-in on the bank of the river when he bonded his life to a stranger, he was certainly all-in now! This man with his sparkling eyes and sandy hair, right down over his perfect shoulders to his waist, was every fantasy he'd ever had all rolled into one very angry package. Fuck, he could grip that waist tight while he pounded into his mate from behind...
The man in the cage watched Sebastian with razor focus and looked as though he might speak. Someone else spoke first. "I see you disobeyed my orders and left medical." It was Wes. For all intents, he was the leader of Pack Dalton. Wes' father was far too old for those duties anymore and the council had voted Wes unanimously as the interim head of the pack.
Sebastian turned immediately to face his Alpha and show a measure of respect. "Let him out." He said, pointing towards his mate.
"I had to change my clothes after he attempted to share his lunch with me." Wes frowned and glanced at the man in the cell who simply sneered. "I'm not letting him out until I know what's going on."
"You have no reason to hold him." Sebastian argued. "Other than soil your clothes and cross pack borders, he hasn't done anything wrong."
"And just why was he headed into Pack Dalton territory in the first place?" The tone of Wes' voice was calm, but Sebastian knew the pack leader well enough to recognize the stern undercurrent of judgement that was being held back.
"He was being chased."
"That much we knew from your transmission." Wes nodded, "but that doesn't explain why Hunter Clarington, of Dayton Colorado Military Academy was in pack territory." Wes held up the man's wallet as another scrap of information came hurdling Sebastian's way. His gorgeous, irate, half-blooded mate had a name. Hunter Clarington.
"Instinct." Sebastian replied simply and shrugged his shoulders in a gesture of nonchalance. "Fate has a funny way of pushing us where it wants us to go."
Wes' expression became skeptical. "You're telling me that this man was driven here to find his mate." When Sebastian said nothing, Wes looked at Hunter. "And what about you? Are you willing to concede that you were looking for your mate on instinct when you invaded our territory?"
Sebastian telegraphed frantic emotions down the mating bond. Hunter looked as though he might be ignoring them. Instead, he stayed stoned-faced and looked at Wes. "That's right." Tearing at the bandage on his shoulder, he revealed a dark mark and two puncture holes that were completely healed over. A sense of pride went from Sebastian right down the mating bond before he could censor it, along with more than a hint of desire. Newly mated wolves had a dialed-up sex drive that often canceled out common sense. Hunter glanced at Sebastian for a split second before looking at Wes. "That's what this is right? A mating mark? I have a mate. That's mean I'm married or something?" Wes looked at Sebastian who said nothing. Hunter's sharp eyes didn't seem to miss anything, but if he had insider information, Sebastian couldn't tell. "Well where is she?" Hunter challenged the men as if they were going to materialize a dream girl from thin air.
At the word 'she', Sebastian scrambled to quell his shock. Hunter automatically assumed his mate was female. Why? Moreover, he didn't realize right away that he'd been mated. That didn't make sense. At the very least, Hunter should have worked out that the bond existed between them. The emotions running from one man to the other were too powerful to ignore. Hunter Clarington was either ignorant of wolf culture, or he was hiding something.
Wes looked even more puzzled and narrowed his eyes. "Do not play games with me, Outsider. You're mated to a member of my pack and if you're in danger of being killed, it means my pack member will die with you. Mated wolves can heal one another through the mating link, but only if one or both wolves establish a soul bond. There were bullet holes in your shirt and blood all over the place. You would have died without a soul bond. So 'married, or something' doesn't begin to cover it." Wes paused to allow the information to sink in before he added. "And if this mating was forced without your permission, it could mean banishment or even death for the wolf in question." Hunter showed real outward emotion as he processed the information. The same wolf that saved his life could be put to death for doing so. "I'll ask you once. Do you accept the mating?"
"Yes." Hunter said without hesitation. Sebastian swore he felt a jolt of shock coming down the mating bond during Wes' explanation, but which part had astonished Hunter was a mystery.
"And did Sebastian force the mark on you?" Wes nodded towards Sebastian who stood as still as a deer in a meadow sensing a predator. It was the first time anyone in the room had pinned Sebastian as the wolf in question. There was no mistake now. Sebastian braced himself for yet another shock of emotion down the mating bond. None came.
A pregnant pause turned slowly into an uncomfortable silence, yet Hunter's facial expression never changed. Nor did he look at Sebastian. Instead, Hunter stared expressionless at Wes. Finally, Hunter glanced once at Sebastian and looked positively bored. Sebastian tested the mating bond again and Hunter's temperament seemed rock steady. "No." He drawled, "I accepted his mark. Can I get out now?"
Wes stood there looking at both of them for a long moment. "This is very unusual." He stared at Hunter, but spoke to Sebastian. "He's not to leave pack territory. We need to figure out what's going on. And this conversation, whatever's going on here. I'm not convinced yet." This time Wes did turn towards Sebastian, "Until then, you can take your mate out of my holding area." Turning slowly, he patted Sebastian's shoulder once as he walked by and spoke quietly, "good luck. It's looks as though you might need it." Wes nodded to the guard on the way out and then the cell was being opened. Sebastian stood there, arms crossed; trying to feign that he wasn't worried.
"You said no secrets." Hunter spoke before he stepped out of the cell and into Sebastian's space. "Sebastian."
"Hunter." Sebastian replied immediately and with the same inflection his mate has used. "Names were our last one." He sensed more in the mating bond. Hunter thought he could covet information. Well he had another think coming. "You have mysteries." It wasn't a question. "I'll figure them out." He turned, hoping Hunter would follow.
In the next moment however, Sebastian had to stop walking because the brick wall that was Hunter Clarington wasn't behind or beside him, he was in Sebastian's face. They were practically the same height and eye to eye, sending more inappropriate thoughts into Sebastian's addled brain about hot, angry make-outs. "What makes you think I'll be around to let you find out?"
There was a distinct smirk on Sebastian's face, "well, it's not like you can leave. And. We're kind of joined at the hip whether you like it or not. So." He shrugged, "maybe you should start by being honest with me."
"What goes on with me is none of your fucking business." Hunter had a distinct growl to his voice, a challenge.
The push and pull of emotional energy along the mating bond suddenly had a victor and Sebastian let his mate's irritation wash through him. Hunter wanted a contest of wills, and he was going to get it! Thrusting all his weight forward, he tried to pin his mate to the wall who pushed back with equal measure. Damn, this man was strong! Sebastian had to access his wolf and use every ounce of his strength to get Hunter's back flat against the wall. Sebastian's eyes went full wolf-yellow, and he spoke in a low growl of his own. "You're my mate! Your business is my business. Wrap your head around that!"
Hunter stopped pushing, and seemed genuinely startled by the depth of Sebastian's motives. The feeling was quickly replaced with a bitter sweet emotion that Sebastian likened to the pleasure of an impending win. "Oh? Well wrap your head around this…I'm not gay. I'm not even remotely bisexual." Now it was Sebastian's turn to be shocked, and he let go of Hunter. "Yeah. Guess we're both fucked." Pushing Sebastian aside, Hunter walked out of the building and into the waning sunlight. "No secrets, my ass."