'Lord Belmor,' Viktor called, 'surely you came to my castle uninvited for more important reasons.'
'Viktor, don't change the topic.' Belmor was still looking at Viktor wide-eyed. 'I can fucking hear it.'
Viktor wrinkled his nose at the vulgar curse. He would not entertain this beast in his home any longer.
'If that's all, Lord Belmor,' Viktor said, 'then leave my castle.'
His voice was sharper at the end.
Belmor looked even more shocked at Viktor's words.
Viktor kept his face hard. It seemed that everyone had forgotten who he was. It might do to teach them a lesson.
He let his aura—usually kept under tight control—slip into the air. Belmor's face changed and he retreated immediately.
'I'll go,' he said and turned to leave. 'But remember, we have to follow the king's prerogative.' He threw out the king's name before he left, as if to chastise Viktor.
Viktor let out a small puff of air. The folly of youth.
---
Throughout the drive back to Red Moon Pack, Rafael kept glancing at the rearview mirror to look at Julian. The whole time, Julian was looking out the window, silent.
Rafael felt anxious. He hadn't felt like this for a long time.
What if Julian was not happy leaving his pack yet?
His intuition told him that place hadn't really been good to Julian, but they hadn't really talked.
What if Julian didn't like the Red Moon Pack or got homesick?
And then this strange pain that kept them from touching or being near each other… what if it wasn't temporary?
What if Alma didn't have a solution?
The thoughts raced through his head.
And Julian… Julian had been silent and unresponsive since their talk yesterday. How could Rafael resolve everything? If he failed Julian, that was unacceptable.
Just before they were close to the pack entrance, Rafael saw a figure standing on the road. His mother, beside him, leaned forward and squinted her eyes.
"That's—" She tilted her head to the side. "That's Alma."
Rafael could see it. The old witch was in her usual cloak, drab, leaning on a crooked stick.
When they reached her, Rafael slowed the car and got out.
"Alma," he asked, "what are you doing here?"
"Your mate," Alma replied. Her eyes were fixed on the car. "Tell him to come out. I have something important to tell you guys."
"Alma, help us, there is something—" Rafael was cut off.
"I want to see him," she said simply.
Rafael sighed and turned back. He walked to the car, about to open the door for Julian, but he felt the strings of the soon-becoming familiar pain and moved toward the passenger seat window.
"Julian, come out," he said softly. "She wants to see you. It's Alma, the witch I told you about earlier. She can fix our situation."
"OK," Julian replied. He moved to come out, and Rafael took a step away.
When Julian got out, he immediately looked down, his hair avoiding Rafael's gaze. That small action brought a sour taste.
Then laughter sounded, pulling Rafael's attention away. He vaguely noticed his mother had come out of the car too. It was Alma laughing.
"Finally, I can leave this place," Alma said, a wide smile still on her old, battered face.
"Alma, now is no time to speak in riddles. What's going on?"
"Well," Alma replied, "straight to the point, I see. They cannot touch. Once they are within three feet of each other, they feel pain, right here." She pointed to their chests.
"Can you fix us, Alma?" Rafael asked dimly.
"I can't, Alpha Rafael," she said. "But don't worry. It will be fixed soon enough.
"Heed my words now, Alpha Rafael. You have a third mate." She looked at Julian. "Both of you do, and he is coming. Your bond is a catalyst for many things to come. Despite all that might happen, stick together."
"What do you mean, another mate?" Rafael asked. He heard her words, but they didn't make any sense.
He could only have one mate. One person who shared half his soul. One person destined just for him. How could he have another?
"I have said what needs to be said." Alma turned. "I need to leave. I have finally finished my duty here." And with that, she walked away.
Rafael watched as she disappeared. She'd used magic. He could smell it.
"Always so cryptic, that damned witch," he heard his mother cuss before entering the car.
He turned to face Julian.
"She said it was temporary," Rafael said to Julian.
"She said you had another mate," Julian uttered. He looked somewhat resigned.
"She said we… we have another mate," Rafael replied, placing emphasis on the "we."
Julian just sighed and entered back into the car.
"Why was everything so fucked up?"
Rafael glanced up at the sky and took in a deep breath. No. No, he would not stay here feeling sorry for himself. He was an Alpha, dammit. Everything would turn out right. He'd make sure of it.
He got back into the car.
"Let's go home," he muttered under his breath.
---
Julian had been a brat.
He'd found his mate, a wonderful man who had been nice to him and taken him out of that hellhole.
And Julian had been a brat.
"Idiot, now he'll realize that you're not worth the effort, and now he even has another mate."
---
"Julian," Rafael said, "my mom will take you somewhere you can stay and freshen up."
Julian nodded morosely.
"Come here with me, honey," his mom's voice was soft as she led Julian away.
But Rafael watched as they left. He was back home, and it was very different from where he'd left.
He walked to his office immediately, feeling the urge to get right back into work. At least there he was competent.
When he opened the door, he saw Elijah, his beta surrounded by lots of books. It was a mess.
"Elijah," Rafael said, "what's going on here?"
"Thank the goddess," Elijah said, standing up. "You're back."
Rafael raised a brow.
"You forgot, right?" Elijah said, a slight smirk on his face. "The treaty has arrived, and it's our pack that's hosting."
"Shit!!!" Rafael exclaimed.
How had he forgotten that?
"The other packs are coming," Elijah said.
"And those bloodsuckers too."