Carl left, and Will was alone with the beast, but also with his mate.Sage gave Will the strength to face the loup-garou, who was getting more and more furious and more vicious in his fury, tearing up the ground he could reach.But the magic held, and Will calmed down.
The wolf remembered all that had happened, but he wanted the future, a future with Sage.And Will, witch wolf and prey no more, wanted the same.
26
Will
Petersnuckuponthem in silence, and Will jumped when the vampire simply appeared out of the greenery an arm’s length away from him.
“So you just couldn’t listen,” Peter said, his voice as icy as a frozen lake.He was flawlessly dressed, and the hike through the thick woods hadn’t left any marks on the vampire’s suit or shoes at all.
“He kidnapped a kid from the neighborhood.What was I supposed to do?”Sage asked.
Will was glad he was a wolf and couldn’t speak.
“You call me, that’s what.”
Sage cleared his throat.“I sort of forgot my phone at home.”
Peter glared at Sage.Will only watched out of the corner of his eye, his head down, but Peter glared with the same proficiency as an Olympic figure skater did a toe loop: on ice and with some blades in there.
“I won’t forget it again, okay?”Sage looked down as well.
Peter grumbled.“What an excellent plan of action.Learning from your errors and such.Next thing you know, you’ll start shaving regularly and throw out your flip-flops.”He looked at the loup-garou, who was flagging.Nearly drowning in quicksand and shifting that much would drain anyone’s stamina.“He seems to have lost his tongue.”
Sage shrugged.“He was saying mean shit to Will.”
“Ah.”Peter’s mood seemed to lift marginally.“Stop the spell.”
Sage gaped.“You’re going to kill him here?I should tell you, there’s an Elven stone circle just around the corner.”
“The woods are mostly Elven territory, so I won’t be spilling any blood here.Pryce is waiting at the head of the road with the refrigerated van.”
Will yipped.Sage gaped.“That ghoul is driving all around town with a meat locker on wheels?Do you realize how creepy that is?”
“It’s convenient.Now, the spell, please?”
Sage lifted his left hand, palm up, and chopped the edge of his right down onto it, cutting the spell by sign rather than word.
“You two head back home.I trust you can lead Sage out of the woods, Will?”
Peter grabbed the tongueless loup-garou by the scruff and dragged him up and out of the dirt.The bones in his limbs looked like they had mostly healed with all the many shifts, but Will had a feeling no amount of healing would help where Peter was involved.There had been artists’ renderings of the blood eagle on the internet.Will didn’t feel sorry, he just didn’t want to watch what Ed’s brother had coming to him.
Will nodded and howled in agreement.
“Excellent.And no more leaving your phone behind, Sage.”
“Won’t happen again, I promise.Will?”
They watched for a moment longer as Peter dragged the loup-garou off into the woods.Then they started walking.
“You actually do know the way back, right?Because I’m sort of lost,” Sage said.
Will nodded.
“All right.I’d follow you even if you didn’t.”
I trust you too.Instead of the words, the air between them shimmered; magic made visible.Did…I do this?
