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“No. We won’t find him. We’ll make him. We’ll pick some beautiful young man, tragically adrift in an unfair world. We’ll force him to struggle against terrible odds, we’ll take everything he has from him. And then we’ll give him to Gideon.”
“This seems as though we could end up hurting a lot of people for no real gain.”
“It does. But the alternative is you and the one you love being hurt a lot for no real gain. This has to end, this obsession with you. Or, you could save everybody the trouble and actually end things with the little wolf.”
“Actually end things with Will?”
“Yes. You could do what Gideon wants. You could listen to your maker, and you could consider that maybe he knows something. You’ve been separated from Will for weeks now. In that time, you’ve had your throat ripped out, Lorien’s face was burned off, and you’ve unleashed a murderous wolf who is now destroying the marriage of your favorite human woman. Oh, and you went to space.”
“I enjoyed space. It was peaceful.”
“My point is, Maddox, there is a very simple way to stop the chaos. Gideon cannot be killed or manipulated. He is too old for either of those things. When he made you, he demanded your submission and obedience. That was the price of your life. Accept that the deal you made with this devil has a cost, and Will is that cost.”
“I can’t.”
“You have to. Will is doing what he needs to do. He must have smelled you in the forest. He must have been tempted to come, but he didn’t. He did what he needed to do, for you. Sometimes, Maddox, love isn’t about getting what you want. Sometimes, love is about suffering, and separation, and loss. Actually, if you think about it, love is always about suffering, separation, and loss. It’s a matter of when.”
“I’m not ready for that when to be now.”
“I don’t think it matters if you’re ready, Maddox. I think it’s time you accepted your fate. Call the wolves and tell Will to make his place with them. Forever. Anything else is just cruelty to you both.”
Maddox had never wanted to make a call less in his life. It took quite some time to arrange a connection with Henry and Will, and when it was finally live, he almost wished it wasn’t.
“Henry speaking.” Henry’s stable, deep tones came over the line, giving Maddox some hope that things might turn out alright after all.
“Henry, how is Will?”
“He’s doing well. Very well. I think he likes it out here. He’s a good hunter, a very good hunter. He could easily provide for his own pack and whelps… not that he wants to. He wants to be with you.”
“I may not be able to have him come back to New York.”
“What. Soon?”
“As long as he lives. Or Gideon remains awake.”
“What are you saying, Maddox?”
“I’m saying we have tried everything. Gideon is unmoved. I went into space, Henry. I took to the stars, but when I returned, Gideon was unchanged. He is a constant I cannot remove. And I love Will too much to have his life ended.”
“Then you need to tell him that.”
“I can’t tell him that. You will…”
“Maddox!” Henry snapped his name. “I’m not going to tell Will that you’ve given up.”
“I can’t be in the same room as him safely. Gideon always knows where I am. Always. If I am with Will, then Will is in danger.”
“Maddox.”
Will’s voice came over the line, flooding Maddox with the most intense love and longing.
“My boy…”
“Shut up,” Will said, following that impertinence with four of the most dangerous words in the language.
“I’ve got an idea.”
18
