"Ezra."
He whirled around and held up his hands to ward off...Rourke.Rourke stopped several steps away from him."Are you okay?"
Ezra nodded.
"I'll get you something to eat, okay?"
When Ezra didn't reply, his shoulders slumped, and he headed out the door.It was much easier to talk to Ulric.It shouldn't have been, shouldn't have mattered which of the monsters he was talking to.Though he was starting to forget Ulric was a monster.
Every time he saw Rourke, he was reminded of what his hand had felt like curled around his hip as he thrust into him.He didn't know what to do with the memory.It sent a heated wave through him at the same time as it made him want to run and hide.Everyone outside the door also knew Rourke's hands had been on him, and what he'd done.They'd be reminded of what had happened whenever they noticed Ezra.
Walking into the bathroom, he washed his hands and arms with soap and warm water.A few cuts broke open, and he grimaced at the pink rivulet disappearing into the sink.
"Venison stew from the slow cooker.I think Tala made it, so you're in luck.She knows how to cook."
Ezra looked up to find Rourke watching him from the doorway.
"Can you connect me to the ward too?"
He nodded."We need to go out to one of the pinpoints though, and I think Ulric took the knife."He didn't have it.
"Tomorrow.Eat and rest.I need to talk to the pack."He lingered as if waiting for Ezra to say something, but he didn't know what to say.It was best not to say anything since Rourke didn't appear upset with him at the moment.He most likely didn't know how basic the ward was, and explaining it to him would only make him more disappointed in him.
Ezra had been a disappointment all his life, so he was used to it, but it would be nice if he could get through his second day here without reminding Rourke of how useless he was.He didn't believe he'd forgotten, but...
"Do you need band-aids?"
Ezra shook his head.
"Eat."He pointed at him, then he was gone.
Patting his arms and hands dry, he walked into the room, lured by the scent.There was a bowl and a spoon on the kitchen table, and Ezra more or less inhaled the stew.It was warm and hearty.About halfway through the portion, he slowed his eating and allowed his muscles to unclench.Darkness was rapidly growing denser outside the window.
Two days, and he hadn't been eaten yet.Apart from Rourke biting him, of course.It was going better than he'd anticipated.
After having washed the dishes and having one of the cuts breaking open again, he brushed his teeth and dragged himself to bed.A few minutes later, he was shivering, teeth shattering.Fuck.He'd used up all his reserves.He crawled in underneath the cover to try to get his body to stop shaking.Rourke had said to rest, he hoped it meant he was allowed to sleep.
* * * *
Chapter 8
Rourke leaned back in his chair and gestured for Ulric to explain to everyone about the wards.
"I don't know how they work.He walked around the forest closest to the pack house, bled on the trees, and set up an invisible spiderweb of magic."
"A spiderweb?"Rourke was confused.He believed he'd circled the area.
"He explained it as a spiderweb, but I only think he did the border.Maybe he can do it in the shape of a spiderweb.I don't know."
"Wait, what?"Tala frowned, and Ulric sighed.
"I don't know.I asked some questions but--" He shrugged."He said it's like a magic spiderweb.If someone gets tangled in the thread, the signal will travel through and tell us where the breach is."
"And they do this?The witches, I mean?All of them?"
"Would explain why we've never managed to sneak onto their land."Rourke almost cursed his stupidity.Couldn't they have researched it somehow?Witches were tight-lipped about their abilities, but every time they had tried to attack, they'd run into trouble.They should've understood they had some sort of alarm system.
"Ezra said it's better when there are many witches.Now his magic is the only thing keeping it alive.Should he die or be blocked from his magic the ward will fall."
