Chapter Twelve
Luke watched Grey sleep for hours. He fed his soul mate, then he made love to him. Then he watched Grey sleep again. It was a constant cycle, but it felt right, felt like this was how it was supposed to happen.
He did his rounds, checked in, and took meat out to defrost, making sure he stayed ahead of their appetites. Grey wanted to cook for him, but frankly, with the need driving them as hard as it was, it was easier for him to do it while Grey slept, so there was always something on hand to eat when his soul mate woke. Eventually things would ease, would grow steady and Grey could take over the reins.
It was a sunny day today, which meant it was extra cold. So he put another blanket over Grey where he dozed on the couch, and put more logs on the fire, stoking it. He caught sight of the sat phone out of the corner of his eye, and decided he should call Jake. After all, his brother had gone through this recently himself.
He called Jake’s number.
It rang a few times, then he heard his big brother’s warm voice. “Luke! Luke, how’s it hanging, man?”
He chuckled. Jake sounded happy. “Good. I’m good.” And that was a huge understatement. “How’re you?”
“Busy. Living with an artist is a challenge.”
“I thought you were in love.” He drew the last word out obscenely.
“I am. I haven’t had him in days. He’s working. I’m going to beat him and then...”
Luke chuckled again. It was hard to imagine going days without making love to Grey. It seemed impossible. “So the constant need fades?” He didn’t know how he felt about that. Sad, he thought.
“No. No, he’s being stubborn.”
“Oh, you mean he’s like you.” Of all his brothers, Jake was his favorite and he loved teasing him.
“Goddess, yes. Tell me, how’s it going in the frozen wasteland?”
“We’re snowed in for the winter.” Which sat perfectly with him.
“Is it true? He’s yours?”
“How did you know I’d found him?” They were connected, though, the five of them. Not like the soulbond, but when big things happened, it was often felt, intuited.
“We. You said we. You never say we.”
“I’ve never been part of a we before,” he noted. “And yes, it’s true. He’s mine, brother. I’ve never felt anything like it.”
“I want to meet him, when you’re ready. That’s three of us now. Three of us.”
“It seems almost unbelievable, doesn’t it?” Except that he couldn’t deny that Grey was his through and through, and he knew both Jake and Deke felt the same way.
“It does seem unbelievable. I can’t decide if it’s because the universe decided we had waited long enough or if it portends something else.”
“By something else you mean something dire?” Luke had heard it in his brother’s voice.
“Well, portents are rarely warnings of good things to come,” Jake noted, voice dry.
No, Luke supposed not. “I refuse to see finding my soul mate as anything negative, brother.”
“No. No, of course not. I didn’t mean to imply that. I wonder sometimes.” Jake cleared his throat and changed the subject. “Are you handling him okay? He’s eating, resting?”
“Eat, sleep, fuck, repeat.” He knew how to take care of his pet. He didn’t need advice from Jake on that front. It had him growling a little; he knew how to care for his soul mate.
“Good deal. Deke had some trouble and I was right here.”
“Yeah, well, he’s Deke. I’m me.”
“Growly!” Jake began to chuckle, low and husky, making fun of him.
“Fuck off, brother.” Was it any wonder he hung out on his own in the wild? He never had had the patience for people.
“Goddess, yes. Please. Any energy you can offer me that direction...” Jake clearly wasn’t going to take offense.
“You’re in an impossibly good mood.” He shook his head and chuckled. He couldn’t be mad at Jake.
“I am. I’m in love.”
“I’m not about to turn into a sap like you, am I?” he teased. He wouldn’t complain if he did; he wouldn’t complain about anything that was down to his Grey.
“Deke did. He’s goofy over his mate. Ridiculous.”
“Deke and goofy seem to go hand in hand. Seriously, though. You think Mike and Mark are going to find their mates, too?” It was strange, how they’d all been falling like dominos.
“I hope so. Our meetings are going to be a real downer if not.”
“I have to admit, I can’t believe that Mark lived through losing his soul mate. Do you think it could be that the same, reincarnated soul is out there looking for him?”
“I’m not sure he believes that, but is it any harder to believe than three of us finding what we need? You’re in the middle of the Arctic.”
He rolled his eyes. He wasn’t that far north, but he knew most people didn’t get that. All they saw was cold and isolated. “I did think I’d never find my soul mate up here.” It was something of a miracle.
“Does he have your name on him?”
“He does. Fae magic.” He couldn’t be upset about it, though he knew Mike in particular disliked the Fae and wouldn’t take kindly to what he considered was Corryn’s interference.
“He’s yours. Congratulations. I hope you have a ball.”
“You know I will. You know what it’s like.”
“I do.” Jake growled. “Now I’m going to go remind Shae who he belongs to.”
“Have fun, brother. Maybe I’ll see you in the next equinox. Or the next one. The one after that. Some equinox.”
“Mmm. All the love, brother.” And then click. Jake was gone.
Apparently the soulbond had been calling.
Luke put the sat phone back in the charger, and headed to check up on Grey. He had a soulbond of his own and it wasn’t calling—it was shouting for him.