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Bryan sat. Munok removed his shirt, revealing the bruises covering his body. He knelt down and placed his hand on Bryan's stomach.

"The baby is safe," he announced.

Though he'd already felt it with his intuition, Bryan was still relieved to hear Munok's assessment. He stripped out of his trousers and cringed at the sight of the dark bruising all across his legs. It was the first he'd properly looked at them, and he was shocked by how bad it was. Nugai whispered a chant and mixed a concoction of ingredients with a mortar and pestle, and then flung the powder into the fire. He then mixed a series of strong scented ointments and passed the bowls to Munok and Gan.

Bryan tensed as the three Alphas went to work rubbing the ointment into his skin. The pain was immense, but he didn't cry out or protest. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to hold back the tears.

"We must work the medicine into your skin," Nugai explained. "It will be over soon."

"I can take it," Bryan hissed through gritted teeth.

They covered his entire body with the stuff, and his skin began to tingle with a warm numbness. He felt euphoric from the pain that was now beginning to fade away, replaced with a comforting heat. And as the discomfort disappeared, Bryan was able to enjoy the touch of his Alphas. He was with them now. For the very first time, he felt completely free. The realization grew brighter, and a great happiness welled up inside of him like he'd never felt before. At that moment, he truly understood the meaning of destiny. This moment was what he had been born for. To be with them. To be their mate.

He slipped his hand around Gan's neck and drew him into a kiss. Then Nugai, then Munok. He held them tightly, breathing in their scent and basking in their presence.

How wonderful it was to know one's purpose. It was like the future had opened up to him, the parting of trees from a dark forest leading to a gorgeous rising sun.

His hands caressed their firm bodies, gliding across the ripples of their muscles. When he reached beneath Gan's robe for his manhood the Alpha protested, saying that Bryan needed rest.

"No. I need you."

He opened their robes and stripped them naked before gripping their cocks, eager to reacquaint himself. Munok and Nugai throbbed in his hands as he sucked Gan down, swallowing his massive length into his throat. He switched between them, pleasuring them hungrily.

When they took him they did it gently, cautious not to cause Bryan any extra pain. But he didn't care about the injuries or about how much it hurt. He held them tightly, felt the warmth of their skin against his. It hurt where they touched him, but he found that he enjoyed it. The pain made their presence that much more real and vivid. He moaned as Gan filled him, the bulge of his cock occupying and satisfying the deep void inside. The Alphas took turns, and Bryan knew the feeling of each of them without even having to look to see who was inside of him. He knew their energy, and he felt them on a deep and primal level.

Bryan's climax sparked a surge of gripping ecstasy through his entire body, powerful enough to completely erase the pain from his injuries. His mind blanked, purged of everything except his connection to the Alphas. He floated with them in a realm all their own, connected by a golden thread of energy that emerged from the depths of time and terminated in a far distance not even the most astute shaman could perceive. For the three Alphas, a lifelong prophecy had finally come to pass, revealing an exciting but unknown future. What mattered was that they were together.

Later, they returned to the home den where they relaxed on sleeping furs around the fire. Bryan's body tingled, a mixture of the afterglow of their sex and the potent ointment, and he found himself incredibly relaxed despite the discomfort of his bruising. He asked them about his father, if they would be willing to perform a ritual to cure his sickness.

"There are no guarantees," Nugai warned. "As long as you both understand that."

"We understand. We know the risks."

"Then of course it will be done," said Gan.

The very next day, Bryan brought his father out to the forest. When they arrived at the logging site he was greeted by a collection of his former workers, who were just as shocked to learn their old boss planned on communing with the Direlings as they had been to see Bryan enter the forest the day before.

"If this goes well," he told them, "You bet your asses I'm coming back to work."

Bryan stopped the wheelchair at the edge of the tree line and waited, shifting to his wolf form. From the dark of the forest, the three Alphas appeared, trotting forward in their wolf forms. A murmur of fear went out through the loggers. Bryan could feel the tension in the air, and he prayed that none of the men did anything stupid. None of them liked the Uridimm, and Bryan knew that there was more at stake here than just his father's life. If he wasn't healed, if Uri took him, how would Bryan be able to bridge the gap of distrust between the two peoples?

Gan came forward, his ruby-red necklace glinting in the sunlight. He lowered his head respectfully towards Bryan's father. "Kramer, father of my mate. I'm honored to meet you again in peace."

"Again?" Bryan asked.

His father looked up at the massive Alpha and his eyes flashed in shock and recognition. "You're the one I saw come back to life.”

"Uri blessed me on that day," Gan said. "And my priests were able to heal my wounds. You will receive no lesser treatment than I had. We will summon the extent of our abilities to heal you. If Uri deems it, you will be recovered."

With the help of the others, Gan took Bryan's father onto his back and they proceeded into the forest and returned to the village.

Bryan was surprised to find all the Uridimm waiting for them. The ceremony began the moment they passed through the tree gate, with dozens of wolves casting howls into the afternoon sky. They brought him into the main den and laid him down beneath the skull of Uri. His father stared up at it, obviously fearful of what he saw. Bryan sat next to him. "Don't worry, Father," he said.

"It's a damn dire wolf skull," he murmured weakly.

"That's the skull of Uri," Bryan said. "Maybe it's not a good idea to talk badly about her."

"Ah," he groaned. "I'm sorry, skull. Uh... Please forgive me."