Connor Thomas

I want to thank all of you that keep reading this even with all the mistakes I have made. Like when Connor introduced himself in chapter 1 I spelled his name wrong. The rest of the mistakes are too numerous to name but my gratidue is just as enormous!

Special thanx go out to leorastark and stochx for giving me a nice kick in the ass when I needed it!

Super special thanx with whipped cream and a cherry on top go out to my new Beta reader _bloom_, you are awesome. This chapter is for you!

BTW..check out the pic on my bio...delicious!

***********

Lay back lay back go to sleep my man

Wipe the blood from your face and your hands

Forgive yourself if you think you can

Go to sleep go to sleep my man

-The Avett Brothers

<><><><><><><><><><>

As they set the bones in my arm I found out that Candice's brother was not dead, he was merely knocked unconscious. We locked him and all the remaining Huron members in the dungeon, where I was previously held. Candice tells me she wishes to speak with him. She protests that I send a guard with her. Once I tell her she won't talk to him without she just walks off and stands by the door until Bruno joins her. Boris takes me to a room down the hall where we can listen in. All the rooms are wired for sound but only a few are set up with video. Her brother is in the latter. I feel kind of bad eavesdropping but I want to know more about her and her family.

"Are you okay?" Candice practically runs to him and starts checking over his body.

"Yeah, I'm fine," shrugging her off. "The blood is not mine." Candice sighs and wraps her arms around him in a hug. I can see how tense Bruno is with them being so close.

"Are they going to kill me?" her brother asks, untangling himself from her.

"I honestly don't know. The others are still alive," she answers, sitting back.

"What do you know? You are the new Alpha bitch right," his voice has way too much disdain.

"Watch your tone," Bruno snaps at him.

"I wasn't talking to you, mutt."

"My fist will be talking to your smart mouth in about two seconds," Bruno growls, already moving to grab him off the bed.

"No, stop," Candice jumps up to block Bruno.

"I will not have this dreck speaking to you that way." Bruno's anger brings out his German. He practically spits the German word for filth as he glares at the man on the floor.

"He is just upset. Our father is dead....." Hunter cuts her off.

"Don't defend me to this mongrel. I'll take care of him anywhere, anytime."

"Like you handled me earlier," Bruno laughs. Hunter growls.

"Stop it, both of you," spinning around on her brother. "You aren't enraging just any wolf here brother. This clan is not formed of ordinary Weres and Immortals. It seems many a legend found a common interest."

"What legend could possibly be behind this pussy?"

"Die weißen Wölfe," Bruno grins. The look on her brother's face is priceless. All the blood drains from it and he swallows hard.

"By the look on your face I know you have heard of The White Wolves," Candice says matter of factly.

"You've seen him," her brother chokes out then clears his throat. "Them shift?"

"Not Bruno but I saw his twin."

"Fuck," he exclaims, looking Bruno over anew.

I look back with a questioning look at Boris who is sitting behind me.

"It's a very long story, later I promise," he answers.

When I look back at the camera I can see Bruno is back by the door and Candice is seated by her brother again.

".....the Heir?" I missed the beginning of Hunter's question.

"Connor really is the Heir and my True Mate," is Candice's response.

"Your True Mate, that's great," he looks down. "I'm happy for you."

"I wouldn't say it's great but," she stops like she is choosing her next words carefully. "I'm sure the issues are because he was bound for so long. It has not been the easiest of transitions. His moods are erratic. Something no one could have predicted is the fact that he is half Were half Immortal."

"Really?" His head snaps up fast.

"You saw for yourself how fast he is. He partial shifted in the blink of an eye. On top of that he has successfully mated an Immortal."

"What? How is that even possible? Your True Mate cannot have a second mate."

"His Were half is my True Mate. Vivian is his Immortal half's mate. She was originally gifted by Arden Connor himself."

"The Arden Connor? Fuck, this shit is hard to wrap my mind around."

"You're telling me. I know you probably don't understand since you are unmated but it is hard for me to not be jealous. I want him all to myself but have to understand he needs Vivian just as much as he needs me."

"I understand more than you know." She gives him a shocked look.

"I was told Sherry wasn't your mate."

"She wasn't. Father forced me to breed. She was an available fertile female. If I tell you about my True Mate it might make you hate our father as much as I do."

"After hearing all the things he did to Connor and plus all the horrible things he taunted him with, it's hard for me to grieve for him. I don't think father was the man I thought he was."

"He wasn't. He did change a lot after you were born. I think he thought about the way he treated females before and never wanted you to go through any of it."

"I never understood how you could have so much hate toward him while you fought by his side for all these years."

"I can explain. Does he have to be here?" He motions toward Bruno.

"Unfortunately."

"Okay," he sighs. "I hope what I tell you does not make you hate me more."

"As big as an ass you have been all my life I have never hated you." He gives her a small smile.

"I'm gay." I think everyone of our jaws hit the floor just like Candice's. Then I look at Bruno and see a weird smile on his face like it was just a confirmation to him.

"Since when? You have kids."

"Since forever, like I said I was forced to and believe me it wasn't that easy." Bruno chuckles and they both shoot him a mean look.

"Ignore him Hunter, tell me what happened," turning his face toward her with a hand on his cheek. He glares at Bruno a minute more and then meets her eyes.

"I met my True Mate about ten years before you were born. He was the Alpha's son from the neighboring Yukon Pack."

"A male was really your True Mate?" The question is from Bruno not Candice.

"Oh shit," Boris mutters behind me. I miss Hunter's response to Bruno because I spin around to look at Boris.

"Why is that a big deal?"

"Bruno never thought mates existed for him, honestly neither did I."

"Bruno is gay?"

"Big time and to my knowledge this is the first time anyone has claimed to find a mate of the same sex." I go to respond but he cuts me off. "We can discuss this at length later but I really want to hear about this."

"I'm going to hold you to it."

"Trust me; we will have plenty of time at the cabin."

Back in the cell:

"We would sneak away from our packs and meet in the woods several times a week to be together. Those days in between were so hard, sometimes I was physically ill. We were both too scared to mark one another but we," stopping at a loss for words.

"I get it, you two were uh, intimate. I don't really need those details," Candice comes to his rescue.

"Yeah, intimate. Well obviously father became suspicious because he followed me one night and caught us in the act. He was furious. How could his son 'be a faggot' were his words. When I told him that we were True Mates he laughed, said it wasn't possible. There are no such things as same sex mates. That I was just twisted. We argued fiercely, I tried to make him understand. I loved Paul and he loved me. When I told him we wanted to leave our packs to be together he lost it. He attacked us both, then he slaughtered my mate right in front of me," Hunter chokes back a sob but continues.

"Father didn't even let me grieve. He dragged me away from Paul's body and started beating me again. When I was close to death he stopped." Hunter stops to regain his composure, wiping his eyes with the back of his hands. "He gave me an ultimatum. I could return to the pack and father a litter within the next year and he would keep the whole 'gay thing' a secret or he could turn me over to the Yukon Alpha blaming me for his son's death. I knew the Yukon Alpha would torture me before killing me." He breaks down completely, sobbing uncontrollably. "I was weak, I betrayed Paul." I can barely understand him through the crying. Candice wraps him in her arms as she cries with him.

I look over to see Bruno is equally shaken by the story. Boris is standing behind me watching his brother.

"Bruno is not taking this well, it's hitting too close to home."

"I thought you said he never knew about same sex mates?" I ask.

"Not the mate thing but," he sighs. "Later I swear we will finish this conversation but we need to get Bruno out before he loses it."

"We can't just pull Candice out now."

"I'm going in there then. Call Ronald, we need him there for Bruno when he comes out." I pull out my phone and do it.

"What do you think Ronald can do for him?" I ask after hanging up.

"Ronald has been his lover for the last century. He is the only person besides me who knows how to handle all of Bruno's moods." I know I can't hide the shock.

"Let's hope Hunter doesn't freak seeing you both together," I say as Boris leaves the room.

Back in the cell:

Candice and Hunter both look up as the door opens. Hunter's eyes about pop out of his face.

"What is this?" Candice demands.

"Ronald is on his way down," Boris says to Bruno. His brother nods gratefully. Boris pats his back as he leaves the room, then turns to take up his brother's position and meets Candice's eyes. "Shift change?" The look she gives him clearly says she doesn't believe that.

"Alright that is just creepy," Hunter says.

"I was shocked the first time I saw them too," Candice turns back to her brother.

"So you aren't here to kill me?" Boris shakes his head in the negative.

"Did something happen? Is Connor alright?" A smile crosses my lips. For all her anger toward me she is still concerned.

"Of course, Bruno needed a break is all."

Candice and her brother talk for about another hour. I find out her father had similar pacts with many other pack members. He could get them do anything he wanted because he had secrets to hold over them. The threat of telling the Alpha and having to face his wrath outweighed whatever Alexander asked them to do. That is the reason Hunter fought for his father all these years. It really made me see how dysfunctional things are in a Werewolf pack. If they could be that afraid of the Second you wonder what pain the Alpha could inflict on them that he couldn't. Makes me kind of glad I never had to grow up in that. Wonder if I would have been as corrupt too.

<><><><><><><><>

There is one more thing I have to take care of before we can leave. I go straight from watching Candice's conversation to find him. He is behind a desk in what I assume is his office. I am still not used to how big this place is. I thought Vivian's mansion was huge but this stronghold the clan has is insane.

"We need to talk about you and Vivian," I demand the moment I walk in.

"You're pissed we fucked," Darius sits back and crosses his arms over his massive chest.

"That's all you have to say?"

"It wasn't planned. You have a strong aura and it turned Viv on. She basically jumped me."

"So it was all her fault, you had no desire to have sex with her, you were just helping her out," the sarcasm thick in my voice. He stands up and puts his hands on the desk.

"It wouldn't be the first time," leaning toward me. "You are worried that I used her, trust me it was the other way around."

"You fuck her and drink from her while she is weak and you want to lay the blame at her feet," my anger is rising at his insult to my mate.

"Did you forget she had her teeth in my vein moments before?" He steps around the desk to approach me. "Is there something you want to accuse me of? If so spit it out." I cross my arms this time and meet his eyes.

"I think you want her for your own, have for a long time." He laughs. My response is a deep growl.

"I will admit I love Vivian. I once hoped there was more between us but I learned long ago that she would never feel the same. I am ready for when the war is over so I can hand her care over to someone else."

"You don't have to wait until then. She is my mate now. Her care is my concern; if you wish to leave nothing is stopping you."

"A promise I made to a friend is what keeps me here and the fact that I have cared for Vivian long before you were even born. A pup like you is not going to run me off because you are jealous."

"Pup? I am the Alpha of this clan; you will watch how you address me. You have disrespected me on numerous occasions, drinking my blood and fucking my mate without permission. It's not going to be tolerated anymore."

"You are threatening me? Don't let your recent victory go to your head child."

"No threat, a promise," I growl. A wry grin splits his lips.

"Are we going to fight for your mate's honor or yours?" With that remark I am on him.

We hit the floor hard. I am on top going for his throat right before he throws me off. We both spring back to our feet. He laughs thinking I am joking until his fingers touch his throat. He looks down to see the blood I drew. I never even realized my hands shifted to claws.

"Let's do this then," he sneers as he rushes me. I meet him in the middle. I should be scared, Darius has six inches on me and likely fifty pounds of pure muscle but fear is not an emotion I register right now. Anger at his insolence. Rage at his arrogance. Glee to be drawing blood. Pride to be landing so many blows. Vaguely, revulsion at this bloodthirsty side of myself.

I am holding my own against this ancient vampire and I haven't even fully shifted. Maybe it is kind of a playful fight at first but when I land a hard hit to his face his anger turns up a notch. His next attack is swifter more vicious like he had been holding back. My wolf half takes his threat serious. I drop and roll to the side shifting in the process. It is astounding how fast I am able to go from man to hybrid. They tell me switching to full wolf is a little harder, maybe that is why I don't turn into one when I am in battle mode.

Darius doesn't even let me regain my feet before he is on me. I know this isn't a fight to the death but we are both determined to incapacitate the other. Books rain down on us as we slam into the shelves, destroying a few in the process. His computer monitor explodes as I land on it. I grab the keyboard and smash it against his face. Rolling off the desk we hit the floor in a tangle. My damaged arm is bleeding again; I barely even register the pain until his teeth are in it. A loud roar escapes my mouth as I grab him by the hair and pull him off; my flesh comes free in his mouth. He spits it out and laughs. My legs are around his lower body holding him to me I smash him in the face with my forehead. The crunch of bone is musical. I rear back and hit him again the same way, his blood spatters all over our faces. His arms wrap around me, crushing me to him, teeth going for my throat. I keep my grip on his hair and bring my head forward again. This time I hit him right in the mouth. I feel his tooth slice my skin open above my eye.

The blood runs down blinding me. Darius' grip is squeezing all the air from my lungs. I slide my legs up higher and tighten my hold. I muster all the strength I can to jerk his head back hard. I hear something snap and suddenly Darius is crushing me for a whole different reason. I unlace my legs and shove him off with my good arm. Trying to catch my breath I look over at Darius. His eyes are livid in his bloody, broken face as they stare right into mine.

"Call me a pup now motherfucker," I gasp out. He manages a grin as his eyes flutter shut and he passes out. I am hanging on to consciousness by a thread when I hear her calling for help.

"Such a stubborn ass," Vivian chides as she drops beside me and assesses my wounds. My cocky grin probably mirrors Darius' as I pass out.

<><><><>

I wake up feeling very alive and by alive I mean in pain. My head is throbbing; maybe smashing it into Darius wasn't that bright an idea. My arm is practically immobile. I can feel my women in the room even though I can't really see because one eye is swollen shut.

"We're here," Vivian sooths me.

"You need to fully shift baby. It will help you heal," Candice is close by.

"I can't breathe," I manage to rasp.

"You were impaled by a large piece of plastic, it punctured your lung," Vivian explains.

"I can talk you through the change, it will take a lot of energy but you need to do it," Candice sounds almost pleading. I nod in agreement. If by energy she meant pain then yeah she was right. It was like my body was burning from the inside out. She strokes me the whole time, coaxing me through the full shift. Moments after darkness welcomed me.

<><><><><><>

I awake cocooned in warmth. The softness tells me I am in a bed encased in naked flesh. I am on my side, my semi pressed into a firm ass and the feel of pert tits is in my back. Both my women are with me and that makes me extremely happy. You get my drift. I move my hips forward to slide my hardness between the sweet cheeks and a sharp pain shoots up my spine. I grit my teeth and swallow a scream.

"Easy," Candice coos from behind. "You were pretty damaged, the shift healed all your wounds but you are going to be sore."

"How long have I been out?"

"About twenty four hours," she answers.

"I am surprised both of you are in bed with me."

"Vivian and I had a long talk and came to an understanding," Candice rubs her body against mine.

"And that is?"

"You are an idiot," Vivian answers.

"That must have been the shortest conversation in history."

"Seriously, what were you thinking? You had not even healed from the fight with Alexander," Vivian asks.

"That is between me and Darius."

"The conversation may be but your actions are not." Vivian turns over to face me. "Our lives are tied to yours now. I survived the loss of a mate once already. I don't think I can do it a second time." I feel like a total ass. All this time thinking about myself and my feelings; not caring that they would have to deal with the consequences too. I gather Vivian in my arms and kiss her lips softly before nuzzling her neck.

"I am sorry. I wasn't thinking. I was angry and jealous. I thought Darius wanted you and I saw it as a challenge. There are all these feelings and thoughts inside me that I don't understand. It is hard to control them." I turn on to my back to look at Candice. "The things I did to you. I am so ashamed. How can you want to be here with me?" Candice lays her head on my shoulder, pressing her body down the length of mine.

"I know you were trying to hurt my father not me. The things he did to you, the things he said are horrible. You reacted the way any other Were would have." I kiss the top of her head and stroke her hair.

"It doesn't excuse my actions. I forced you to mate me on a dirty floor, then I raped you in front of your father and everyone else. You deserve so much better than that, than me."

"There is no other for me. We were made for one another. I am sorry your mother's death was the only reason I was born but can't you see that the fates were trying to balance the scales. I have to see it the same way with my father."

"One tyrant for another," I scoff.

"It's not like that at all. You are going to be a great Alpha when you get yourself under control. Most Weres have sixteen years to accept the beast within; you have only had a week. I think you are doing pretty good handling things so far."