Free Three Mates, One Destiny by Scarlet Hyacinth Page A

can’t remember. Maybe you guys can come visit once he’s better.” He paused, deciding to change the topic off Ross. “What about you? What are you doing?”

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    “We decided to meet up with Trent and Ash, catch up on hunter business,” Marcus answered. His tone changed, becoming softer, warmer. “I’m glad you decided to call.”
    Paulie smiled. “So am I, Marcus. So am I.”

    * * * *

    That night, Paulie returned to his room feeling a bit better. He’d actually gone to dinner and decided to get a decent night’s sleep, unlike the day before, when he’d caught maybe three hours of slumber—more of a dead faint of exhaustion, actually.
    He still hadn’t gone downstairs, and the mere thought of it gave him the shivers. But perhaps, if he waited a few more days, he could handle it.
    After washing up and pulling on his pajamas, Paulie slipped under the blanket and closed his eyes. No sooner had he fallen asleep than the nightmare started.
    He was back in the cell with Patient Number Three. He stood there watching the feral, smiling. Only this time, his patient cowered in front of his touch. “It’s okay,” Dream-Paulie said. “We’ll help you.”
    The same words he’d told Ross—and just like that, Patient Number Three morphed into the young feral. In fact, his form blurred to and fro, from Ross to Number Three.
    Dream-Paulie approached the feral. Moving in a flash, he grabbed the other man and tossed his body against the wall. He did it again and again, until his brains leaked out, and dead eyes stared at him accusingly. “You killed me,” Patient Number Three said in Ross’s voice. “It’s your fault.”
    Paulie screamed, trying to tear himself away from the hold of the dream. It didn’t work. The feral’s gaze kept him prisoner and hypnotized. The other man’s hands began to move, grabbing Paulie and threatening to crash his head against the wall.

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    But before the feral could achieve his purpose, a powerful force stopped it. He was torn out of his nightmare and back into reality.
    “Hush,” Sebastian whispered. “You’re all right.”
    Paulie burst into tears. He’d thought he could be strong and push the pain away. He’d thought he could be a doctor and help people.
    He’d failed. Oh, God, he’d failed so abysmally.
    Sebastian placed him on the bed and just like two nights back, Paulie ended up sandwiched between his mates. “Now you listen to me,” Sebastian said. “We understand how you feel. I had nightmares for weeks after my first kill, and so did Marcus. But that’s why we’re here, to help each other out. Okay?”
    Paulie nodded. He could not think of any better idea than borrowing his mates’ strength. “Okay.”
    “We’ll just hold you,” Marcus murmured. “How does that sound?”
    Paulie didn’t reply. He just closed his eyes, knowing his mates would understand his agreement. When he fell asleep again, no nightmares reemerged.

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Chapter Five
    After the second night together, Paulie warmed up to them. His smiles came rarely, something unusual according to what Marcus found out from others. The experience with the dead feral hurt Paulie a lot, but Marcus hoped that, in time, his mate would get over the trauma. They didn’t have sex, nor did they venture beyond what they did the day of the feral’s death, but the few stolen kisses Sebastian and Marcus managed made all the difference in the world.
    It also seemed to help that Ross recovered from his injury. Ross represented a mystery for the few people at the base who’d met him.
    Sometimes, he seemed shy, almost frail, like a porcelain doll about to crack. Other times, he turned suspicious and cold toward them.
    Doctor Blunt was studying the hypothesis that the serum might have affected Ross’s psyche after all. Paulie seemed encouraged when Ross didn’t show the same signs of suicidal mania the ferals did, but his state remained delicate.