Casey added, “Somehow, I don’t see Nicky going along with it—even for the good of the pack. No, whoever changes him would have to mate with him. ”
The look on Marco’s face as he pictured Nicky’s reaction was priceless, and though Ian contained his mirth with a smile, Casey convulsed in laughter. Everyone knew Nicky, Marco’s gorgeous human male pet, totally ran Marco, no matter how much Marco thought he was in charge.
Ian tried to bring the subject back to their p
rimary focus. “Very funny, Casey, but that doesn’t solve the problem. We also don’t know, for certain, if once he’s changed, even with the mating bond, he won’t still hate us and everything we stand for, putting him in constant conflict with the compulsions the bond creates. It could drive him mad. ”
“No, but at least, a mating would have the most chance of turning his beliefs around,” Marco said. “It would have to be someone who isn’t already mated or likely to be. If we mate a wolf to the Hunter andthe wolf’s blood match comes along later, he’d want to be released to be with the blood mate, which would be a situation unfair to both wolf and Hunter, especially if they develop a love match. ”
Casey snorted over the last statement as if no wolf could ever love a Hunter. Ian could see another problem developing if they did succeed in turning the Hunter, an undying animosity in some of the wolves, who would have difficulty accepting a Hunter among them.
“Yes, but who would that be? Who has no mate or is not likely to have one?” one of the gammas asked.
Two sets of eyes swung toward the beta. “No!” Ian held up his hands to ward Marco and Caseyoff. “Absolutely not!”
“Well, Ian, it does make sense. Maybe it’s time you took one for the team. ” Casey laughed heartily at his own joke, while everyone else smiled at Ian in sympathy.
“I don’t want another mate. My mate is dead. ” Ian folded his arms across his chest. He still grieved for his wife and always would. Still, what they said made sense, even if in talking them out of changing the Hunter, he’d talked himself into a corner.
The alpha spoke up quietly. “Ian, I can certainly sympathize. I thought I lost Nicky last year, and the idea doesn’t even bear thinking about. You’ve been so strong, and we all admire you for that, but you’re too young to climb into the grave. Your blood match passed away, so there won’t be another for you, and you haven’t expressed interest in anyone else for all this time. Perhaps you should think seriously about this. I’d never order you to, of course, but it would help us. Think about it. If we can’t find any wolf willing to mate with him, we’ll have to execute him. We can’t just let him go or keep him locked in a cell forever. ”
Silent, Ian studied his hands on the table thoughtfully. Maybe he should go look at the prisoner, see what he was like. He did owe that much at least to the pack. “I’ll go see him. ”
Marco nodded and stood up. “Let’s leave it at that for now. Bring me the scouting reports as soon as they come in and keep the guards on high alert. We’ll meet again tomorrow. ”
The alpha turned to Ian. “In the meantime, why don’t we go have a look at the prisoner? His name is Logan. Whether that’s a first name or a last, I can’t tell you. That’s all he’ll give us. He’s hostile and, I think, pretty frightened though he does a good job of not showing it. Maybe he’ll tell you more, but I think he’s too deeply into his dying for the cause mode right now. He sees all of us as monsters. ”
“I’ll go see him, but I can’t promise anything. ”
“Fair enough. I’ll go with you. ” Marco moved toward the door and turned to Ian when he got there. “He refuses to eat or drink anything besides water. Thinks we’re going to poison him, I guess. C’mon, you can let me know what you decide. ”
As they walked, Ian thought about the gravity of what he considered. Once a wolf took on a mate, human or Werekin, the mate became their responsibility forever. There would be no going back. Wolves mated monogamously for life, usually to a blood match. Awolf’s blood sang out when the wolf encountered his true mate. For Ian, it had happened with his wife, Maria. They’d known each other since childhood and mated as soon as their parents allowed. They’d had five blissful years together before Maria and their baby died in childbirth. Since that time, he’d had no interest in anyone else for anything other than casual sexual gratification.
Mates for a wolf could be either male or female. No stigma was attached to same sex matings, with wolves having little control over who their blood chose for them. Once the choice was made, they were totally attracted to the other person; even their scent called to them. If the blood match died, a wolf could still mate again, and the match was another lifetime bond, but it was a more natural, human attraction. As with humans, the attraction could be very strong and powerful. For Ian, it hadn’t happened. This match he was contemplating might not even be compatible, let alone contain any affection other than simple lust and the compulsion for obedience the mating bite created. A loveless match could be miserable even with the bond the mating ritual would form.
He sighed. He’d said he’d go look at the man. It probably was a good solution, all things considered, and he was the only young widower in Mountainwood. He squared his shoulders and prepared himself to do what Casey had joked about—take one for the team. * * * *
Marco went with Ian as far as the corridor and motioned for him to go in alone . “I don’t want to influence you in any way. Go see him and make your decision. ”
The prisoner was lying on the cot against the back wall when Ian went in, his army issue camo clothing in rags, no doubt from the struggle when he was captured. His face, streaked with dried blood and dirt because he’d refused to bathe in the pails of water they provided for him, still bore dark bruises and scabs.
“Get away from me, you stinking animal. I told the others I’m not going to talk about anything, so you’re wasting your time. ” The young Hunter glared at Ian through the bars, practically spitting the words at him.
Ian stood quietly outside the cell with his arms folded, gazing in at the prisoner. Logan, the alpha said his name was. Logan was young, probably about twenty-five or twenty-six. His dark hair was curly, but he kept it cut short, so the curl barely showed. Ian guessed he nearly shaved it military style most of the time, probably becausehe didn’t like the curls. If Logan was his, he’d make him grow it out longer. Ian was momentarily startled at the thought. Where did that come from?
Logan’s eyes were blue, heavily fringed by black lashes. Blue was Ian’s favorite color for eyes. All the wolves had dark brown or hazel eyes, inherited from their Indian ancestors, so blue eyes were very exotic to him—exotic, beautiful, and damn sexy, judging by the unexpected growing bulge in his jeans.
“Can’t you hear me, wolf?Get the hell out of here! I’m not talking to any of you!”
Logan jumped to his feet and rushed up to the bars. Ian had to smile. The strongest human didn’t have a quarter of the strength of a wolf in his human form. It would be the same as an adult human fighting a five-year-old child. The Hunter must know that, and still, he was posturing. Ian admired his courage. Logan bared his teeth at him and growled. Very nice teeth they were too, white and straight. He licked his lips afterward, and a hint of pink tongue showed between his full, sensuous lips. Ian found himself wanting to taste that tongue. A strange thought and as unexpected as his spontaneous erection. He hadn’t experienced much physical desire for anyone since his mate passed away years ago. This human made his cock stir.
All in all, definitely a beautiful young man, muscular and well built. Ian knew Logan thought he abhorred the wolves as monstrous aberrations of nature. Of course, he only knew the lies and exaggerations he’d been fed by the fanatical Hunters. Ian liked the idea of introducing him to the true nature of the wolf clan.
With the Werekin bite, he would go into an aroused state, commonly known as being in heat. Being a male, he wouldn’t secrete any fluids other than pre-cum, but he would be in a state of hyper-arousal and want sex desperately. Rory had been very careful not to give the deeper, longermating bite when he bit Nicky to save his life, knowing he was Marco’s blood mate. Marco arrived before Nicky progressed far enough for them to truly know what would happen if he had not been mated. Through the ages, they knew of warnings against a Werekin bite without a mating. The reasons why had been lost over time.
What they did know was that once bitten everything would change for him. He would undergo a supernatural change. His body would become stronger, faster, and even more beautifully muscled. Not as strong as a wolf, of course, but much stronger than normal humans. Not only would he have an insatiable appetite for sex during heat, but once given the mating bite and receiving the wolf knot, he would be driven to do or say anything to please his mate, to always be near him, to obey, and please him. He would also need to drink wolf’s blood in order to survive for the rest of his life.
“What’s the matter with you, wolf?” Logan yelled, jerking Ian out of his considerations and the possible repercussions of the step he contemplated taking. No, he knew he would do this. Almost from the first moment he laid eyes on Logan, he’d known he would go through with it. This man was his.