Prophesy 3: His Righteousness by A.E. Via

 

 

Macauley walked with his brother Aleksei back towards the main compound. His siblings and the rest of the pack had gone far enough ahead that Macauley could have a private conversation with his older brother.

“I had a feeling you wanted to talk to me.” Aleksei glanced at him. “That was the most I’ve ever seen you say at a meeting. Well. More like, growl, snarl, and snap.”

Macauley ran his hand through his messy hair since he hadn’t had time to comb it after his shower. He probably looked like shit, but he didn’t care. There was so much going on in his mind, and he had more questions than he knew where to start. But his brother had been there tonight—in a sense—so starting with him was as good a place as any.

“Why did Wrath come to Adres like that? What did he feel from him?”

Macauley stopped and leaned against a tree, waiting for the rest of the pack to go a little farther. Farica turned and watched them for a moment before she blew them both a kiss and headed towards her cabin. He felt her soothing presence wash over his uncertainty, but it couldn’t take it away.

“I don’t know why Wrath felt that pull to him. All I know is Bell and I were in bed, and next thing I know, Wrath said he needed to shift.” Aleksei shrugged, gazing at the cloudless sky that would soon be brightening at the coming of the dawn.

“You don’t know! But… but I thought that you and Wrath and your wolf had connected again.”

Aleksei chuckled. It was a sound that Macauley was still getting used to. His older brother used to be so carefree and the life of the pack, until the attack happened and Wrath had had to make the choice to kill their mother in order to save Aleksei’s life. The Mother had placed Wrath inside Aleksei when he was a young pup for a reason, but it hadn’t been for that. It’d been for the prophesy. But Aleksei couldn’t forgive Wrath or his wolf for letting their mother die. And it had taken years for them all to trust each other and become one again. It’d taken their mate.

“What I do know is that Wrath hasn’t felt rage like that in a long time.” Aleksei smirked. “He’ll be insatiable for the rest of the week.”

“Okay, that I didn’t need to know.”

“What’s going on, Mac? Why are you so crazy about this, guy, hmm?” Aleksei crossed his arms over his chest. “He’s not your mate, so what’s up? It doesn’t sound like you’re still suspicious of him because it was obvious you didn’t like that general questioning Adres’s motive?”

That’s right. No one can give Adres shit but me. Fuck, that was ridiculous. “I don’t fuckin’ know, Alek. Something is wrong… something’s off.”

“What do you mean?” Alek frowned. “You can tell me. I’ll have your back no matter what. You flew in a jet to the other side of the world to help me rescue my mate. I kinda owe ya, don’t you think?”

“Hell yeah, you do.” Macauley snorted. He’d never forget the terror he and Farica had felt at being confined in a steel trap with wings, forty-five thousand feet off the ground.

“So…” his brother prompted, but Macauley didn’t know where to start.

What could he say? I think I’ve found my mate, but I’m not a hundred percent sure like any other alpha would be. Shit. He’d be the laughingstock of his pack, not to mention his brothers. How could he bear the name of Volkov and not be able to scent and claim his mate?

“Mac. What is it?”

Macauley bit the inside of his cheek to keep from confessing like he wanted. Not yet. He had to do more reconnaissance. “I need to know what Wrath felt when Adres prayed to him.”

“What… why?” A deep frown creased Aleksei’s brow.

“I just need to. I need to know if he felt something there.”

After a few long seconds of silence, Aleksei finally answered him. “Wrath and I are connected, but when he controls the surface, I can fully retreat. And I prefer to when he has to kill.”

“Damnit.” Macauley grunted.

His brother gripped him behind his neck, and his wolf embraced the comfort of another alpha. “If you really wanna know what Wrath is feeling… then you should ask his mate. Besides, it was Belleron who told Wrath to spare the general’s life tonight, not me. Without our mate… Wrath knows no mercy.”

Belleron.

He watched Aleksei continue along the well-worn path towards Justice’s house. As the second oldest, and next in succession of Alpha Zenith, he and Justice often had conversations that excluded the younger siblings. And they were all fine with that. They each had their role in the pack. Macauley hurried home, making a plan to speak to Belleron first thing after he woke. 

His cabin sat on a lush piece of land near his shop at the edge of the main compound. Because his specialty was carpentry and construction, his house was one of the nicer cabins. He should’ve been modest in his building, but the project had grown beyond his control until the next thing he’d known he had a second level with a master suite and a spa-style bathroom, two bedrooms on the first floor, each with its own private bath, a living room, and den. He’d always thought he’d have a family and a few pups running around at some point, but he was also more than happy playing uncle to the many kids he saw every day.

It was almost five in the morning, and he was beyond exhausted. He should’ve thanked Wrath for disrupting the meeting when he had, or else Justice wouldn’t have called it to an end until they had a solution. But no one could concentrate after the general had been taken to the infirmary.

Macauley grabbed a couple of bottles of water, ignoring his rumbling stomach, and took the stairs three at a time. He drank them down before he even finished removing his boots and jeans. His T-shirt had barely hit the floor before his cheek was smashed against one of his pillows.

He lay in bed with thoughts of Adres plaguing him. His gray-and-black hair, his scarred face, his voice, and the way he could project his power… like him. Macauley’s dick had been painfully hard when he dozed off, envisioning Adres’s coal-black eyes as he’d promised him vengeance.

And a god had answered him.

Though Macauley couldn’t see all of Adres’s soul, it had to be righteous if it could draw the favor of a god. Especially one as selective as Wrath. And with that lone, comforting thought, Macauley drifted into a peaceful rest.

He couldn’t have been asleep for more than half an hour when his wolf jolted him awake to alert him that he was no longer alone. He had company, but he wasn’t in danger. Macauley rubbed at the exhaustion in his gritty eyes. When he opened them fully, there he was, as dark as night, standing at his bedside. “Adres,” he whispered.

He hadn’t been startled; he wasn’t even upset that Adres had invaded his private space without so much as a knock on his front door. It was because he didn’t mind him being there. Macauley sat up and let the sheet fall from his chest to his lap. Adres’s heated gaze followed, then locked on the bunched-up material over his dick. He couldn’t see those onyx pupils, but he could sure feel them on his body.

Adres had the most unexplainable presence.

“You are in bed.”

Fuck, his voice sounded sexy. Or was it because Macauley was aroused? And not just a little turned on. He had to clench his jaw and groan through the discomfort before he could speak. “Yes. Not many of us are up at this hour.” Macauley grabbed his cell phone off his nightstand. “Speaking of which… what are you doing out? The sun will be up soon.”

“I know. I will only be a moment. However, I needed to come see you.”

Macauley swallowed, his heart racing. “Why?”

“You were speaking privately with your brother after the meeting, so I could not…”

“Yes, you could have.” Macauley threw his legs over the side of the bed. “I think we do need to speak.”

Adres was stock-still for a moment before he seemed to snap himself out of his haze. “I came to warn you.”

“About what?” Macauley scented the air but smelled nothing, causing an angry growl to tear from his throat. “You are blocking me.”

“It is a lifelong habit, young wolf. It was not intentional.”

This time when Macauley inhaled, he caught the scent of leather and a hint of something sweet. Just that small taste of Adres’s true nature made his head spin, along with the rest of the room. Macauley crowded in close, though he didn’t feel himself moving, and Adres didn’t retreat. “I meant to tell you before you were whisked away from the meeting by Bell…”

“Tell me what,” Adres breathed.

“I wanted to tell you… thank you. Thank you for saving me tonight. I was alone out there, and if my brothers had come, or my betas… they would’ve…”

“Killed you all.” Adres’s tone turned gravelly as he glanced away. “I do not know what I would have done.”

“What made you bring me that man’s head?”

“I need to go.” Adres frowned as he turned towards the bedroom door.

“It was something else driving you tonight, wasn’t it?” Macauley closed the distance Adres had put between them. He ran the back of his palm over the leather buckles of Adres’s armor. “You can’t explain it. And it’s making you mad.”

Adres exhaled slowly, then placed his hand over Macauley’s where it rested in the center of his chest. “No, I can’t explain the peace I feel when you touch me. And until I do… I want you to stay out of the woods.”

“I do not get told where I can and can’t go on my own land.”

Adres’s scent changed to something spicy and strangling. His eyes flashed with a sharp white light before they returned to black. Their chests were pressed against each other, and Adres’s cool breath ghosted over his chin as he repeated his order. “I said to stay out of the woods until I secure your territory, Macauley.” Adres’s lips curled into an intimidating snarl, but all Macauley felt was amazement. “My word is final.”

Adres was gone before Macauley could blink, leaving him feeling chilled and alone. His wolf howled long and sad inside his chest, urging him to follow, but all he could do was flop back onto his mattress and stare at his ceiling, shaking his head in disbelief.

No other individual on the Mother’s green earth could speak to him in such a way that would evoke such emotion. Adres’s words had ignited a kind of lust and hunger that he’d never felt before. Not only his beast, but his entire being hollered at once…

Mate!