He was on his third lap of the boundary, almost three hours later, when Declan’s hunters returned. Turning inward, he trekked to the center of the pack, wanting to hear from Declan himself what they’d found. He shifted back as he approached the pack house, falling into step with Declan. The hunter’s expression was grim, his eyes tired. Knox didn’t ask any questions. Declan would report to Gage, and he’d hear everything then. No point in making anyone repeat themselves.
Orion was sitting in Gage’s office, an old book balanced in his lap. Gage was leaning against the desk, his arms folded.
“Well?”
“The good news or the bad?” Declan asked.
“Just tell us.”
“We took down a deer. That’ll help with the food supplies.”
Knox gave the other alpha a closer look. Declan wasn’t usually one to beat around the bush. Had something rattled him?
“And?” Gage prompted.
“Knox is right. Something’s been out there. Might still be out there. Couldn’t see them, couldn’t spot their tracks…”
“But you could see where they’d hidden them,” Knox guessed, since that was what he’d noticed.
“Yeah, that. It was… unsettling. I didn’t let anyone go off alone.”
Since Joel, no one from the pack had been allowed to leave by themselves or travel alone once they’d left the safety of the pack. Declan’s hunters had been the only exception to that, until now.
“Safety in numbers,” Gage agreed, his troubled gaze looking past them and out the window. “There was no hint as to what’s out there?”
Declan eyed Knox as he answered. “No.”
“If you’ve got something to say, say it,” Knox growled.
“Maybe this is about that mage you stole.”
Knox straightened, his hands falling to his sides, fingers curled into fists. “This has got nothing to do with Lorcan.”
“Yeah? You think it’s a coincidence that a day after he arrives, hours after he tried to run, we’ve got a hole in our boundary?”
“Of course it’s a coincidence. It’s not like our pack was trouble-free before he arrived. The boundary is one full moon away from being Swiss cheese.”
“But it is possible, isn’t it?” Declan pressed. “That they know we took him, and they want him back?”
Knox looked to Gage and Orion, hoping they’d back him up.
“It’s possible,” Gage said slowly.
“Improbable,” Orion interjected tiredly, closing the book in his hand with a thump. “He was Maken Pack’s mage. They wouldn’t be shy about coming for him. They’d arrive in force and try to intimidate us into handing him back. Sneaking around, putting holes in our boundary… that’s not how a pack would do things.”
“That’s a fair point,” Gage conceded. “Whoever is targeting us would appear to be using magic to mask their movements. Unlikely, then, that it’s Maken. I suppose it could be the Warren family…”
“It was too quick for that,” Knox argued. “Maken Pack would have had to realize Lorcan had been taken, work out that we were responsible, and then admit to the Warrens that they’d lost him. All that in less than a day?”
“We know the Warrens have clairvoyants on staff,” Declan said. “It’s not impossible.”
“Once Lorcan was within our pack, he would have been beyond the reach of most clairvoyants,” Orion pointed out. “Even before then, the magic I used to cloak Knox and the others would have hidden Lorcan’s movements too.”
Part of pack magic was always devoted to shielding them from observation from outsiders. Whether that was directly, from someone looking in from outside, or indirectly, through the use of magic that blocked clairvoyancy.
“More than likely, the two incidents are unrelated. But just in case, send a few people into town tomorrow, Declan. See if there’s any talk going around,” Gage said.
“You’ve got it.”
Declan pushed away from the wall and headed for the door, pausing across from Knox.
“When’s that little mage of yours getting the boundary fixed, anyway? It’s been days.”
Knox crossed his arms and avoided Declan’s gaze. “You’ll be the first to know.”
“Trouble in paradise, huh? Can’t keep the sorcerer satisfied?”
Knox’s hands clenched into fists again, and he took a step toward Declan.
Gage’s growl filled the room, so sharp it cut at his skin. He dropped to a crouch a second after Declan, the two of them lowering their heads in submission.
“Sorry, Alpha,” Knox ground out as Declan echoed him.
“We’re all tired and on short fuses,” Gage conceded. “But I refuse to let this pack be torn apart from within. If you can’t be civil, hold your tongue and keep your distance.”
“Yes, Alpha,” they both said as the oppressive feeling of Gage’s anger lifted.
Declan was out the door a moment later, while Knox pushed slowly to his feet. Gage stepped forward to close the door and turned back to Knox.
“Can Lorcan fix the boundary?” he asked quietly.
Knox snuck a glance at Orion.
“I don’t think so. He doesn’t have the right kind of magic.”
“So Orion said. He’s not the sorcerer he appeared to be.”
“He’s half-sorcerer. But it seems that half doesn’t mean much.” Knox looked to Orion for confirmation.
“When people are born of two magic bloodlines, one of the two usually takes precedence. He wasn’t raised sorcerer, so the sorcerer side of him was suppressed. In time, perhaps, he’ll have some chance of wielding sorcerer magic, but he’s not likely to be able to help with our most pressing problem.”
“I don’t know much about druid magic,” Knox confessed. “But maybe Lorcan could be useful elsewhere in the pack. With Ro, or…”
Gage’s eyes widened in surprise, and Orion lifted his head to stare at Knox.
“You want to relinquish your claim on him?” Gage asked.
Knox shrugged, ignoring the tightness in his chest. “If he can’t help with the boundary, what use is he to me? To us?”
“It’s not that simple,” Orion cautioned.
“Sure it is. Our bond is temporary. He can spend some time with you to help him figure out what he’s good at, and then he can bond to someone he’ll be able to help.”
“He’s trying to help you.”
Well used to being on the receiving end of Orion’s infamous ‘look of disapproval,’ Knox didn’t flinch at the sharp gaze turned his way.
“But he can’t. And I’m not interested in yet another person I have to protect.” He’d already failed in that duty with Joel. He couldn’t bear it if it happened again. And if Lorcan was the next victim? He’d never forgive himself.
Gage crossed his arms, deep in thought. At length, he spoke.
“Lorcan stays with you for now. I’ll think about what you’ve said, and Orion and I will discuss it. He should keep trying to repair the boundary magic. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”
Knox just scoffed and shook his head. For a pack, they were notorious for their bad luck. Hell, you’d think they’d been cursed.
As he left, Orion’s voice followed him out, quiet but serious.
“Remember what I said, Knox. There’s a person behind the magic. Lorcan is not just a tool for this pack to use and discard.”
Knox knew that, he did—but that didn’t mean Lorcan was meant to be his.
“I’ve got a boundary to patrol,” he said, not looking back. He didn’t want to see the look of disappointment on Orion’s face. He, like Knox, had pinned his hopes on Lorcan. What a mistake that had been.
11
Lorcan’s fingers were littered with tiny cuts from the flint, a constant torment as he fruitlessly fought to make the magic work. The problem wasn’t so much that he didn’t know what to do as that it just didn’t seem to want to work. He’d had more success in Maken Pack, but then he’d been building a basic boundary from scratch under t
he tutelage of another experienced sorcerer. This wasn’t that. This was taking two ends of a well-developed magical boundary and bringing them together to seal a breach. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t manage it.
He’d tried creating a whole new boundary for just that small section. But it was quickly apparent that his magical limitations where sorcery was concerned meant that he could only make a far inferior boundary to the one already there. A stiff breeze was enough to collapse it. In desperation, he’d even tried to use his druid magic to bind the ends together. But it was like oil and water—the two magics just refused to mix. Dejected, despondent, and exhausted, he stumbled back to the hut. His fingers throbbed, his head ached, and once again, Knox wasn’t there.
He’d barely seen the wolf over the previous few days. If the alpha was sleeping, he was doing it elsewhere. Though with the dark shadows under Knox’s eyes, Lorcan suspected sleep wasn’t on the menu. The boundary was part of it, but he also knew that he was somehow responsible. He’d disappointed Knox, failed him, and even though it was stupid to feel guilty about being unable to help the people who’d abducted him, he couldn’t help it.
His fingers throbbed too much to sleep, so he sat in the corner, leaned his head back against the wall, and watched the night pass. It was early morning, just before dawn, when Knox padded inside. The alpha shifted into human form, shirtless but wearing a torn pair of jeans. The sight of him made something skip inside Lorcan, but another throb of pain from his hands made him forget all that. He sighed, and Knox turned toward him, the light of the moon playing across his skin. Was it Lorcan’s imagination, or had the alpha lost weight? He was so distracted staring at Knox’s torso that it was a long minute before he lifted his head and met Knox’s eyes. His breath caught at the sheer exhaustion on the alpha’s face.
“You look terrible.”
Knox’s expression closed off, and he put his back to Lorcan.
“I mean it. When was the last time you slept?”
“I can’t sleep,” Knox said roughly, grabbing a T-shirt from the floor and tugging it over his head. “Not with our boundary wide open.”
“I’d hardly call a two-foot gap ‘wide open.’”
“What the hell would you know about it?” Knox snapped.
Lorcan’s temper got the better of him, and he retorted sharply. “Well, considering I’ve spent the last few days sitting in front of it, shredding my fingers down to the bone, I’d say I know something. Not a lot, but not nothing, either.”
Knox whirled back around and stalked across the room toward him. He dragged Lorcan to his feet and pressed him backwards. The rough wall of the hut dug into Lorcan’s back as he tried to push free of the alpha’s hold.
“Let go.”
“Show me your hands.”
Fighting didn’t get him anywhere. Even exhausted, Knox pinned him in place easily. Lorcan capitulated and held up his hands with their myriad cuts and swollen skin.
“Shit.” Knox clasped Lorcan’s hands gently, holding them up to get a better look. “How…?”
“I’m trying.” Lorcan’s head ached, and his eyes burned. He wouldn’t cry, he wouldn’t. “I just can’t.”
Knox’s gaze lifted, settling on his face. “You’re exhausted,” he murmured. “And no wonder.”
“Well, I’m not the only one. How much good are you going to be to the pack when your body gives out?”
“I have responsibilities.”
“You have a responsibility not to run yourself into the ground. It’s almost dawn. Surely your beta watchers can handle things for a few hours?”
“I guess.” Knox didn’t let go of his hands, even when Lorcan tried to extricate himself from the alpha’s grip.
“Great. You get some sleep, I’ll get my tools and go back to the—”
Maybe Knox would sleep better if he knew Lorcan was working on the problem.
“No.”
“But—”
“I sleep, you sleep. That’s the deal.”
Lorcan let his shoulders fall, admitting, “I don’t think I can sleep. My hands…” They hurt too much to ignore.
Knox glanced down again, his expression troubled. After a moment, he let go, giving Lorcan a gentle push toward the bed.
“Go lie down. I’ll be back soon.”
Knox was gone before he could reply, leaving him to make his slow way to the bed, sitting on the side. He let his chin fall to his chest, his eyes slipping closed. He wasn’t sleeping—the constant throb of his fingers wouldn’t allow for that—but at least he could rest his tired eyes.
“Lorcan?”
Knox’s voice called to him, softer than he’d ever heard it. He jerked his eyes open, lifting his head to peer fuzzily at the alpha.
“Huh?”
Knox stood in front of the bed, a bowl in one hand and a pair of gloves in the other.
“What…?”
“Courtesy of Orion. He says we’re both idiots, by the way. I didn’t have the heart to argue. Mostly because I think he’s right.”
Lorcan just frowned at Knox, not following the conversation. “I don’t…”
“Yeah, I see that. Okay, how about…”
The alpha set down what he was carrying and tugged Lorcan around. He wound up sitting on the bed with his legs crossed, the bowl balanced between them. Knox slipped onto the bed behind him, sitting up against the headboard, his legs to either side of Lorcan.
“You need to soak your fingers in the bowl. Orion said at least ten minutes, okay?”
Knox grasped his wrists gently and guided his hands into the warm, cloudy water. He hissed in pain as the cuts stung, but a soothing numbness quickly followed. Sighing with relief, he leaned heavily against Knox. The alpha threw an arm around him, pressing Lorcan’s back to his chest.
“Sleep,” Knox said. “I’ll watch the time.”
“You need it more than I do.”
“I’ll be right behind you,” the alpha assured him. “I couldn’t stay awake even if I wanted to.”
Lorcan let his head loll back against Knox’s shoulder, his eyes slipping closed. He was distantly aware of Knox easing his numb hands from the bowl sometime later, and then the light touch of a towel on his skin, followed by the cool press of gloves that seemed to swallow his hands whole. They left nothing but a dull ache where there had been a throbbing fire of pain. Knox laid him down on his side, his hands carefully crossed in front of him. The alpha spooned against his back, pressing close, his breath a warm, rhythmic brush against Lorcan’s skin.
He woke a while later, sprawled out on his stomach, his hands tingling where they lay on the bed. There was a warm pressure against his side and a light touch to his back—a finger tracing his wolf mark, over and over.
“Knox?”
“Go back to sleep.”
But Lorcan was awake, the absence of pain leaving his mind clear for the first time in days.
“Tell me about Joel.”
Knox’s hand stilled.
“Nothing to tell.” His voice was tight, the words forced out.
“I need to understand. Please.”
The alpha kept his silence, but his finger resumed its soft stroking between Lorcan’s shoulder blades.
“He was our youngest alpha. Just a kid, really. Declan’s younger brother.”
“What happened to him?”
Knox’s breathing sped up, the only sign that there was anything wrong.
“It was two full moons ago. We— The problems with our boundary aren’t new. They’ve been happening on and off for almost a year. We’d find the weakness and guard it until Orion could patch it up. It was taxing, but not a major problem once we kept on top of it.”
“What changed?”
“A run of bad luck. Orion got sick. There was a storm coming. It was a bad winter—food was scarce. Declan’s hunters were out scavenging most days. There was a lot of coming and going across our borders. But that’s no excuse. The boundary… its magic is tied to me. Not the way it
should be, the way it would be if I had a mage who…”
Lorcan felt a spark of guilt. “If I was able to work the boundary magic, you’d be more closely linked to it through our bond?”
“Something like that. But how things are between us… that is not your fault.”
Except it kind of was, in a roundabout way.
Knox sighed again, stroking Lorcan’s back with two fingers.
“You know the boundary isn’t just a simple wall to keep people out. It’s far more complex than that. It acts as a physical barrier to stop those we don’t want from wandering in, to keep us safe inside, and to allow us to move freely in and out. But it also acts like a tripwire, alerting us—alerting me—when someone crosses it. Two months ago, when Orion was sick, the magic of the barrier kept dropping in and out, like a bad phone signal. It was chaotic just trying to make sure the pack was secure, and impossible to keep track of who was going in and out with Declan’s hunters constantly scavenging, and others heading into town for supplies before the storm hit. I missed it.”
Lorcan’s stomach churned uneasily.
“Missed what?”
“Joel. He wanted to follow in Declan’s footsteps and be a hunter. Declan had just started training him, but he was still too young to go out on hunts with them. We don’t know if he snuck out after them, or if he was lured across the boundary. I never noticed him cross. It was hours before we realized he was missing.”
It was the most Knox had ever said at once, and Lorcan was desperate to see the alpha’s face—his eyes—to understand what put such pain in his voice. He tried to move, but Knox’s palm pressed between his shoulder blades, stilling him.
“Don’t turn around.”
Lorcan forced himself to settle, keeping his face pressed into the blankets while Knox spoke.
“It took three days to find him. What was left of him.”
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