Black Pine Clan
Cat hugged him long and hard. She pulled back and held him by his upper arms, while she looked him over head to toe, as if memorizing everything about him. Glen gently disengaged his mate, and gave him a hug of his own, lifting Ghost off his feet. Glen set him down, and ran a large hand over his hair and down his neck to the shoulder. Ghost had a feeling that his human alpha had no idea that he had scent marked him like any wolfkin alpha would. Ghost smiled, doing his best not to let his tears fall. This goodbye was not for forever—he would see them again, Goddess willing.
“Be careful,” Cat said with a sniffle. “Stop that awful man and then come back and tell us all about it. And if you need us, make sure you call. I gave your handsome mate our numbers. At least this time you have fingers now and you know better than to eat the smartphone.”
Ghost winced as the memories came back, a rueful smile lifting his lips. While a wolf, he had found smartphones to be crunchy and entertaining to gnaw upon. Thinking back, he’d destroyed a quite a few.
Glen chuckled. “We’re going to miss you—and you’ll always know where we are. Home doesn’t have to be a place. Home can be the people who love you the most.”
“I understand. Stay in one piece. Defeat the bad guy. Don’t eat the smartphone.” His recitation got him another smile from Cat and a laugh from Glen. He would miss his humans, but there was no safer place in the whole world than under Andromeda’s watchful eyes. They would be well, and all he had to do was keep himself and everyone else alive.
“It’s time, little wolf,” Kane murmured, taking his elbow and gently nudging him toward the black SUVs laden down with gear and Black Pine wolves.
“Take care of him,” Glen reiterated again, something he’d already said multiple times that morning as they loaded up the vehicles. Kane, to his credit, only nodded respectfully to the demand from the human alpha.
Glen wrapped an arm over Cat’s shoulder, holding her close as Ghost and Kane headed to the SUVs. Andromeda and her family stood on the porch, their goodbyes given over an early breakfast. The female clan leader gently reminded him that they lived for a very long time, and no goodbye was meant to be forever. He would return to Red Fern. Sooner or later, all wolves crossed paths.
Gabe jumped into the front passenger seat while Burke got behind the wheel. Kane held open the door to the rear passenger seats, letting Ghost get in first. Kane hopped in behind him, shutting the door with a solid thud. Ghost watched with interest as Burke and Gabe clicked their seatbelts into place. He looked for his and tried to decipher how it fit together.
Big hands took over the task, Kane buckling him in before tending to his own seatbelt. Ghost shifted on the seat, unaccustomed to being secured in place. He’d ridden in plenty of vehicles growing up at the sanctuary—he just had four paws and stretched out on the backseat.
He could see through the front window, and saw Caius get into the SUV in front of theirs, a blonde wolf hopping in the backseat. “Who’s the Red Fern wolf?”
Kane spared the other SUV a quick glance. “That’s Marjorie. Andromeda put her forward as a temporary First Beta replacement for Sophia. If she fits in and does well, she’ll become a Black Pine wolf.”
“Oh.” Ghost shrugged. It seemed very…human of them all.
The human doctor was bustled into the rear of Caius’ vehicle, hands bound and legs hobbled. Two Red Fern wolfkin all but tossed the human into the back of the SUV, securing him in place before slamming the door shut. Ghost frowned, not wanting to be anywhere near that miserable excuse for a human, but he could understand the practicality of it. Getting information out of him would be easier if he was present in Augusta instead of hours away in Baxter.
“We all set?” Burke asked, looking back over his shoulder.
“Wait!” Ghost leaned forward as far as the belt allowed, and patted at Kane’s arm to get him to reopen the door. Michael hurried down the path, a backpack slung over his shoulder and a blush on his cheeks. He scrambled into their SUV, ducking down as he worked his way to the last bench seat all the way in the back. “Sorry! I’m ready now.”
Kane grumbled, but he shut the door without a word. Ghost gave Michael a sympathetic glance before he nudged his mate with a frown. Burke and Gabe wisely said nothing, the Speaker grinning wide at Kane before turning back around and starting the vehicle. “Homeward bound we go.”
Three SUVs started, theirs in the middle, with Caius leading the way and the rest of the Black Pine wolves in the rear. Ice crunched underneath tires as the large vehicles pulled away one by one. Ghost peered over his shoulder, looking back at the cabin where so much of his life changed. He got a quick glance of Cat and Glen, and Andromeda on her front porch, before the pines blocked his view.
****
The drive wasn’t too long, just under three hours. Ghost spent the drive curled into Kane’s side, his mate’s arm draped over him protectively. Gabe and Burke chatted back and forth, talking about Gabe’s aborted college career, Kane occasionally sharing a comment. Michael read a book, though somehow that made Ghost feel ill just thinking about it. He barely recalled how to read, but the thought of doing so while the SUV rumbled along the highway left his stomach feeling odd and his head swam. Ghost dropped his head down on Kane’s shoulder, and Kane hugged him tighter.
“Try closing your eyes, little wolf,” Kane murmured. “First time in a car in your human form probably isn’t helping the nausea.”
Ghost nodded, closing his eyes, letting out a long sigh.
“He okay?” Burke asked.
“Car sick,” Kane replied, and Burke made a sympathetic hum.
“Want to stop? There’s a rest area a few miles ahead.”
“I’ll be okay,” Ghost sighed. His head lolled when the SUV hit a bump, and he groaned. A part of him felt like he was about to fall over, despite being firmly seated and held against Kane.
“Stop at the rest area, Burke,” Kane ordered, putting a hand on Ghost’s head and holding him tighter. His stomach flipped, and Ghost whined, feeling as pathetic as he sounded. “Tell Caius we’re taking a break.”
“Wait,” Michael said, and there was a warm, light touch to his shoulder. “I’m not much of a healer, but I can…” Soft warmth spread from where his fingers touched the back of his shoulder, and Ghost could feel a lessening of the nasty sensation that ate at his stomach and head. He felt grounded, more secure, and didn’t feel like he was about to fall anymore. Ghost went limp, whimpering with relief. “There you are,” Michael murmured, pulling away his hand. “Better?”
“Thank you,” Ghost whispered, and yawned, cuddling closer to his mate.
“So, not stopping?” Burke sounded amused, a chuckle in his voice, and Kane gave a soft growl, which only made Burke chuckle more.
“Just get us home,” Kane growled quietly, and Burke laughed. Ghost smiled, and fell asleep.
****
Ghost wasn’t sure what he expected, but the huge stone and wood mansion surrounded by a wide lawn and high trees wasn’t it. Three stories tall, with arching gables and numerous chimneys, huge windows that caught the light, and iron torches that stood tall on either side of the pathway that led to the double front doors. A paved and plowed driveway split, one route going to the front of the huge mansion where it circled a large, dormant fountain, the other swinging around the back where a long, multi-bay garage waited. The doors opened at some hidden signal, and the SUVs all pulled into spots that must be designated. The engines cut out as the automatic garage doors began to close, shutting out the winter air. It was just after lunch, and he should be hungry, but nerves ate at his stomach. His nap left him refreshed, but he woke with minimal time to prepare mentally for the arrival at the seat of Black Pine Clan.
Kane helped him down from the vehicle, Michael squeezing out with his bag. Gabe exited the SUV and glued himself to Ghost’s side, the young alpha looking as nervous as Ghost suddenly felt. Ghost grabbed Gabe’s hand and held it tight, earning him a small smile from his friend.
Caius and his entourage disappeared through a wide door that presumably led into the rest of the mansion. Marjorie held the human prisoner by his arm and marched him inside after the clan leader. The rest of the tactical team were organizing their gear and luggage, Burke and Kane each hefting two large duffel bags apiece.
“Follow me,” Kane said with a tilt of his head. Burke went ahead, then Kane, with Gabe and Ghost on Kane’s heels, Michael bringing up the rear.
The door into the house opened to a wide hallway, arches on each side. They followed Burke and Kane, the two alphas marching ahead down the hall without deviating. Their footsteps echoed, the noise of excited wolves speaking loudly in the garage following them down the hall. Burke bumped the door at the end of the hallway open with his shoulder, holding it open to the side with his foot to let them pass.
They were in a large, high foyer. Stone and wood made up the walls, the floor a patchwork of tile and hardwood. On each side was a fireplace, and in the rear of the room was a tall staircase that curved off to the left and right with a stain-glass window on the first landing that cast muted colors across the floor and walls.
Kane dropped his bags in the center of the space, Burke doing the same. Betas came out from almost nowhere, picking up the bags with bowed heads and quiet feet, disappearing as quickly as they appeared. Gabe gave him a confused glance and raised brow, Ghost echoing the sentiment.
“How many wolfkin live in this place?” Gabe whispered, leaning down a bit. Ghost shrugged, eyes wide as he tried to take it all in. Above them and on each side of the large foyer were balconies, and assorted wolfkin were gathering, curious and talking excitedly to each other as they examined the newcomers and returning clanmates.
The remainder of the tactical team came out from the hallway, and greetings came from those assembled on the balconies. Wolfkin came down the stairs in pairs and alone, greeting friends and clanmates among the returning wolves. They all nodded to Kane and said a short greeting before heading to their loved ones and friends. Ghost could feel curious eyes resting over him and Gabe, and every time he made eye contact with a strange wolf they looked away quickly. Some few gave him a respectful nod in greeting before looking away.
“Wolfkin in the higher rankings, perhaps?” Ghost murmured to Gabe, since no one was close enough to hear him. A small crowd was growing around Burke and Kane, wolfkin darting in to get a quick smile from the Heir and Speaker, a couple words before slipping away.
Michael was known to a few, the shaman nodding to quiet hellos and greetings, but none came close to the three of them, the buffer between them and the Black Pine wolfkin somehow impenetrable.
Ghost breathed in, his senses assaulted by the intense multitude of individual wolfkin. It smelled like fur, blood, sweat, a spicy twinge of excitement and…home. He did it again, and held it in his chest, his nerves buzzing. He might not remember this place, but his senses did—he had been here before, when he was Luca.
He could hear the thud of running feet, high pitched giggles and excited yips. Warm hands lifting him in the air, a kind voice chiding him with a rueful laugh. He swallowed, all but able to taste the cookies and hot chocolate he ate at a large, dark wooden table in a long, stone and steel kitchen. A tall wolfkin male with a wide smile and bright eyes sat across from him at the table, laughing. His heart raced and his body thrummed—he knew that laugh.
“Little wolf?” Ghost blinked, clearing away the memories. Kane was smiling down at him, his head tilted inquisitively to the side, long dark hair falling over one shoulder. “Ghost?”
“I was…I’m fine,” Ghost whispered, dragging in a fresh breath, clearing away the clinging memories. “I saw…I remember my father.”
Kane’s expression softened, and a big hand lifted to gently brush across his cheek. “Josiah and Marla brought you and your littermates here often when you were little. Marla lived here before she mated Josiah.”
Ghost shook, and blinked hard. Gabe tightened his grip on his hand, his friend’s concern a balm to his nerves. The foyer was rapidly emptying, Burke and Michael were gone, and the balconies above them were empty as well. “Where did everyone go?”
“I sent them off when your scent changed,” Kane explained, eyes darting to Gabe quickly before returning to Ghost. “You wouldn’t let go of Gabe.”
Ghost released Gabe, stretching his stiff hand and giving Gabe an apologetic glance. “Sorry, I lost myself for a bit.”
“I know how that feels,” Gabe murmured, ducking his head. “I understand. It’s okay.”
“Let me show you where the bedrooms are,” Kane gestured, pulling Ghost under his arm and nodding Gabe towards the staircase.
The stairs were carpeted, their footsteps muffled as they ascended. The stained glass window rose high over their heads when they reached the first landing, and Ghost could see the dark green of pine boughs and the dark forms of wolves running before he had to look away to take the staircase on the left.
“How big is this place?” Gabe asked, nerves making his voice a bit thin.
“I’m not sure,” Kane answered, taking them to the second floor. The landing opened on the right while the stairs continued upwards to the left. They came out to a hallway that branched out in three directions; straight ahead, to the left and the right. “There’s just over thirty wolfkin here in the mansion. All single wolves or cub-less mated pairs. When they have cubs, Caius has property with land and sufficient housing for them to go. He doesn’t do this for all the Black Pine wolves, as there are a few thousand of us, but anyone he invites to live in the clan house with him eventually takes him up on the offer for their own place if they mate. Caius owns over two dozen properties in Augusta and surrounding suburbs. For Black Pine wolves who don’t live here, he has housing assistance programs if they need it. Most of the younger wolves take him up on the help.”
“Is this where Claire and Roman lived?” Gabe interrupted. His face was pale, jaw tense.
Kane paused, and turned to Gabe. “They used to, yes. But I called ahead, and had the rooms stripped and all their belongings trashed once they were searched for evidence. Anything of note was taken to Caius’ study and the rest was burned. There is no trace of them left in this house.”
Gabe grumbled, angry, but he nodded that he heard Kane, and after a tense moment, Kane lead them deeper into the mansion. They took the hallway that went straight, their footsteps now loud on the dark wooden floors. The walls were stone and dark, nearly black, and the floors were just as dark, polished to a high sheen so that their reflections were blurry as they walked.
Ghost was curious, the doors they passed were all shut, and there were no windows. The hallway appeared to run down the center of this side of the building. Eventually they came to the end, the hallway opening to a sitting area beneath tall windows, and a smaller, less grand staircase that went up and down. He couldn’t smell that many other wolfkin, though he caught traces of Burke and Kane, their scents faded, and a hint of Sophia.
Kane pointed to the left, and there was a door set in the recessed wall of the sitting area. A gold plaque was engraved with Burke’s name. “That’s Burke’s suite, obviously. Mine is here,” and Kane pointed directly across the space to another door, the plaque this time engraved with a symbol of a tall pine tree, the metal blackened for the branches. “That is my suite. These stairs lead to the lower ranked rooms upstairs, and the side exit for this wing of the mansion. Directly up those stairs is an empty suite that used to be Sophia’s. Gabe, that’ll be your space. Michael will be housed directly across the hall from you. Your suite is right above mine on this side of the hall.”
Burke’s door opened, and the Speaker stepped out. He was wearing different clothes, and smelled like he just took a shower. “I’ll show Gabe his room. I already got Michael sorted out. The betas readied the rooms before we arrived.” Burke nudged Gabe toward the stairs, and the two alphas went up, Gabe sending Ghost a small smile and a tiny wave before he went around the bend in the landing.
Kane opened the door to his suite, holding the door for Ghost to go in before him. Ghost ran his fingers over the engraved plaque on the door before stepping past his mate and into a wide room with tall windows that overlooked a snowy field of trees and hedges. The room had its own fireplace, several places to sit, and a small kitchenette in the corner. Two doors off to his right were cracked open enough for him to see a large bathroom and the corner of a canopied bed.
Kane shut the door. “This has been my suite since I moved here as a teenager. It had remained vacant since Caius built the mansion a few lifetimes ago. I updated it, added in high-speed internet, the kitchenette, and there is a television in the bedroom.”
Ghost inhaled, enjoying the heady scent of his mate that permeated the space. Curious, he headed for the bedroom, opening the door completely. There was a large bed next to a window overlooking the same view as the main room. The bed had posts that ran up from each corner and a canopy above the bed with deep red velvet curtains tied off to each post. It looked like the curtains could be drawn around the bed to block out sunlight. Part of him wanted to jump into bed immediately, but it was the middle of the day and he was starving.
“Do you like it, little wolf? We can stay here as long as you like, or I can begin looking for our own place nearby.” Kane sounded nervous, and Ghost turned back to his mate. Kane stood in the doorway, hands in his pocket, his expression hopeful and guarded at the same time.
“My life has changed a lot in the last weeks, but one thing hasn’t changed. I want to stay with you, and it doesn’t matter where that is, as long as we are together.” Ghost went to his mate, and slipped his arms around Kane’s waist, snuggling in close. Kane hugged him back, one arm around his shoulders, his free hand running through Ghost’s hair. The kiss landed on the top of his head, and Ghost hugged Kane tighter.
****
Kane shut the door after thanking the beta who brought up his grocery order. He stocked his small fridge in the kitchenette corner of his living room, listening to Ghost putter about in the bedroom. Ghost had no belongings aside from the donated clothing from River while they were at Red Fern. He could hear Ghost rummaging through his closet, then footsteps as his mate went to investigate the bathroom. The bathroom could be reached through either the bedroom or main room. Kane rarely had anyone visit him in his rooms, aside from Sophia and Burke, over the years. Caius never came to his rooms— he always went to the clan leader.
Ghost came out of the bathroom to see what he was doing. “Do you eat in here or is there a room where everyone eats together? This place is a lot bigger than Andromeda’s cabin.”
“I usually eat here or across the hall in Burke’s room with him. A couple of times a week I will be in the dining hall with the rest of the wolfkin who live here in the mansion. Though I don’t think we’re going to have many sit-down dinners until Remus is stopped and the missing wolves are found.”
Ghost opened the fridge, poking about the contents. He closed the door after a moment and sighed, fidgeting. “What’s the matter, little wolf? You hardly held still since we got here.”
“I feel out of place. I can remember some things about this huge den, but it’s small flashes. Nothing more solid than impressions of sound and scents. I can see my mother bringing us here and my father standing over us laughing and talking. But nothing solid. I can’t remember the words or anything he said. I feel like I know this place,” Ghost said, waving a hand to indicate he meant the entire house and not the suite in which they stood. “You have closets full of personal belongings. Memories and items, you hold value for. I have nothing but fragmented memories and borrowed clothing.”
“You are not lacking. Your worth, your importance, none of that depends on what you have or don’t have. None of that depends on what you can or cannot remember. You have never cared about material possessions before— don’t start caring about that now. Don’t think you have to change who you are just feel like you belong here.”
“I just feel… Unsettled. Nervous. I know I shouldn’t. I am a shaman. Our Goddess looks out for me, and you look out for me. But a part of me that always felt lost and wanted to come home is now realizing that everything I wanted to come home to is gone. I feel more like Luca now than I ever have, and Ghost is slipping away.”
Kane hugged Ghost to him. Ghost clung, pressing his face into Kane’s chest. “Whether you are Luca or Ghost or you choose a new name, none of that will change how I feel about you. Your family may not be the way it was before you got lost, but I am here. You came back to me. And I am never going to let you go.”
“Promise?” Ghost whispered, fingers digging into Kane’s back.
“I promise, little wolf.”
****
That evening Caius summoned Kane to his study. Ghost refused to stay behind and followed his mate as Kane took him towards a new section of the large mansion. They passed a couple wolves on their way there, and Ghost smiled nervously at the strangers as they continued. The wolves they did meet backed out of Kane’s way and gave him a nod of respect as they passed. Black Pine appeared to be far more formal than Red Fern’s relaxed atmosphere. Or maybe it had something to do with the fact that Kane was heir here in Black Pine, and was just another wolf when compared to Andromeda. Maybe this was the way that their people functioned everywhere, and he was just too young when he got lost to realize how things worked.
He didn’t know if he liked it or not.
Kane ushered him into a large room. It was long, with a fireplace on either side of the room. Each was big enough that he could probably walk into the fireplaces and not hit his head. Small fires burned in both, giving off enough warmth to keep the room comfortable. Bookshelves covered free wall space and portraits of forest scenes and what looked like Caius and other wolfkin Ghost couldn’t identify, wearing old-fashioned garments. Kane led him down the center of the room to a large desk, behind which Caius sat. Burke was already present, his arms crossed and his usually easy-going demeanor dampened. He stood off to the side, there was an awkwardness about the Speaker that made Ghost curious.
Caius gestured to a few seats on the other side of the desk and Kane sat. Ghost took one look at the seat next to his mate and passed by it in favor of exploring, ignored his grandfather’s unspoken request to sit. He heard Caius sigh in exasperation and his mate chuckle.
“Still a wild thing,” Caius murmured, but Ghost couldn’t hear any censure or reprimand. Ghost shrugged and wandered around the space next to his grandfather’s desk. Shelves held mementos and small knickknacks, everything from a bare human skull with a large crack in the cranium, to what looked like daggers made of stone. There were books and maps and black and white photographs framed in brass. The room smelled heavily of his grandfather, a few stray wolfkin he could not name, and leather and smoke. He took a deep breath, held it for a long minute, and let it out slowly. He knew this place. Aside from memories of the kitchen and dining room, he had the strongest feeling that he knew this room best.
“Did the human doctor give up any more information on the drive down?” Kane asked, leaning back in his chair.
“No,” Caius growled, exasperated with the human. “We have the list still, and I have sent scouts in pairs to those locations here in the city. One of the locations was conveniently destroyed in a reported gas leak a few weeks ago. I think that was where they were last. No sign of where they went after that site was scrubbed.”
“Anything in Roman’s old room?” Kane asked, and this time there was a note of hesitancy. Caius worked his jaw, and Burke looked even more nervous, but Caius leaned forward and opened a drawer.
“Most of his belongings were removed when I had him banished from Black Pine. Everything he didn’t take with him was put in storage until he could have it forwarded to his new address. The betas scoured the boxes and found nothing of importance aside from a few trinkets and some papers.” He pulled out a thin folder and a small box, pushing the items across the desk to Kane.
“Bank accounts?” Burke asked suddenly, while Kane picked through the small box. “Remus must have been paying him something. I don’t see Roman participating all these years without compensation. Even with the promise of more power, I just don’t see it.”
Kane tossed the small box onto the desk, having given up on the contents. “I think tracing the money might lead us directly to Remus, but I don’t see how it’ll lead us to our missing wolves. What about Roman’s car? The GPS in it might have some answers.”
“His car is missing. The GPS in it was disabled. I reported it missing to the authorities. Thankfully it was in my name, otherwise I would have to explain to the humans why I was searching for my son’s missing car and not my son.” Caius stopped, face darkening. Wood creaked, and the armrest under one of his hands groaned in complaint as he tightened his grip.
“I sent for the paperwork from our usual forger. As far as the human world is concerned, Roman died in a car accident, and was cremated,” Kane said quietly, and after a short pause, Caius nodded in acknowledgment.
“The scouts I sent out will begin reporting back as soon as they learn anything. Until then, we wait.” Caius made a short, abrupt gesture, and both Burke and Kane nodded respectfully. Kane stood and Burke went to his side, both alphas radiating low-key tension.
Kane held out his hand to Ghost, who, after a long look at his grandfather, slowly made his way past the big desk. He stopped though, his attention caught on a picture. It was the only one on the desk.
Ghost picked it up, cradling it in his hands. A female wolfkin smiled back at him, dressed in clothing from an era decades’ past.
“Your mother,” Caius rumbled. “You…favor her strongly.”
Even with the few glimpses of himself in mirrors since regaining his human form, Ghost had to agree with his grandfather. He did indeed look like his mother. He ran a fingertip over the line of her jaw, taking in her sparkling eyes and long, thick hair. He gently put the picture down, angling it so his grandfather could see it better. He gave Caius a small smile, and took Kane’s hand.
They left, walking down the long length of the room, and Burke held the door open so he and Kane could pass. He sent a glance back over his shoulder, to see Caius staring at the picture of Marla McLennan, eyes dark, grief radiating from every line of his body.