Things were starting to make sense to Scott. He was beginning to understand why Loki never showed any fatherly love to Fenrir. Scott could only imagine what would have happened if Fenrir had killed Odin's heir.
“None of that matters anymore. You are still my family, and I love you for being you. I'm not going to abandon you, Fenrir. I will stand by you, no matter what. Better yet, I'll show you." Scott pressed his forehead to Fenrir's, hoping everyone would understand why he chose this path. "I, Scottland Boroson-Dracul, son of the blessed god Baldur and heir to the throne of Odin, take you Fenrir the god of wolves and beast not only as my brother in soul, but also in blood." Scott heard Fenrir gasp but continued without stopping. "You are forever under my protection." Scott raised his head and brought his wrist to Fenrir's mouth, looking up at him. Scott nodded for Fenrir to take his blood.
“Are you sure about this? What if the fates reject our blood bond?”
“They won’t. I don’t give my blood freely, Fenrir.”
“If you say so, but if we’re doing this, we do this together,” Fenrir said, bringing his wrist to Scott’s mouth.
Scott's fangs elongated, and they both bit into each other's wrists at the same time. He could feel the magic of their blood mixing. A family bond was not the same at a mating bond—Scott wouldn’t be able to hear Fenrir's thoughts or see into his mind. But just as with his brother or sister, if they heard his call for help no matter where it was or he heard theirs, he would be at their side in an instant and vice versa. It was also the reason he was able to drink Fenrir's blood.
Once Scott took the little blood, he needed to make their brotherly bond, he removed his fangs and leaned Fenrir's wrist away, watching the wound close. They both stared at each other, waiting to see if the fates would reject their bond. When nothing happened, they both sighed in relief. Tears streamed down Fenrir's cheek, and Scott couldn't deny that his own tears were clouding his vision.
“That was anticlimactic,” Scott commented, making Fenrir chuckle.
“Fuck. You’re a sappy asshole, now that you’re in love.”
“Shut up," Scott replied, stepping back as he dashed away his tears. "All right, tell me what your wolf looks like." They needed to change the subject.
“That’s just it...I think he changed his appearance since the last time I saw him. I felt his wolf when I arrived in town weeks ago and now nothing.”
“Do you think he’s in Vale Valley?”
“Yes.”
“That’s a bit weird, right?” Scott asked a bit confused.
“It’s very weird. Not to mention I marked his wolf. But he’s hiding or shielding his appearance from me, and I’m not sure how he’s doing it.”
“Do you think he’s doing it on purpose?”
“I don't know," Fenrir answered. "The night I met him, there was something intriguing about him...other than being sexy as fuck.”
“Could he have been a witch and not known it?”
“I doubt it. There aren't many supernaturals who could be changed from one thing to another.”
“Could it be a supernatural we haven’t encountered before?”
“I have no fucking clue,” Fenrir sighed, and ran his fingers through his jet-black hair. He looked tired.
“When was the last time you slept?”
“It’s been a few weeks. Between guarding the realm and searching for my wolf, I haven’t slept much.”
“Go get some sleep. You're no good to anyone like this. In the meantime, I'll see what I can find out and let you know," Scott told him just as the door in the other room closed. "We'll find him, I promise." Scott had told himself not to get mixed up in Fenrir's problem, but he couldn't do that. Fenrir meant too much to him to not help him find his mate.
“Thanks.” Fenrir walked over to him and hugged him. “It’s good to see you smile again.” He kissed Scott on the forehead. “Tell him how you feel.” He disappeared before Scott could say anything.
There was a knock on his door, and Scott quickly cleaned up his face—although it might not do any good since his next patient was a tiger shifter and could probably smell his tears. He walked over to the door and opened it.
“Hello, Joseph.”
“Doctor Shelton.”
“Come in and make yourself comfortable." Father Janna had been in Vale Valley for a short time, but it seemed he was going to be sticking around longer. He seemed like a pretty decent guy, and Scott could see them becoming friends when he'd no longer be treating him. "So how are you doing?" Scott sat down across from the man, picking up the notepad and pen he'd set to the side for his sessions.
“I think I need to be asking you that question. I can tell you’ve been crying.”
