Marcus spoke up.It was clear in the summer.
My snout met the dirt to confirm my suspicions and I froze. The faint scent of the missing wolves lit my anger. I howled into the crisp air, the Old Magic swelling me larger with lethal intent. Our previous interaction at the border turned downright sinister if they had our wolves. The pack all took turns verifying.
Growls took on a feral warning, and the enforcers milled about in agitation.
We must find those monks. Whatever it takes. Work in shifts to scour the Dell. If they have enough magic to create portals, they may be shielding themselves from us.
My howl bolted small creatures into their burrows and startled birds from the trees. Old Magic amplified the threat so it resounded over the entire territory.
The pack was on the hunt.
Chapter 16
Fallon
The scowl on Declan’s face when he came back to the house was as close to angry as I’d ever seen him. It was a good opportunity to not have to talk about that impulsive kiss. I edged away from him on principle, not because the day had been one of the best of my life before being tossed in the air like a sack of potatoes. What was I supposed to do with a real kiss?
Luckily, Declan submerged into a flurry of letter writing to his other siblings and the custodians of different towns in Sombermane. It wasn’t a bad idea to check that the missing wolves hadn’t left Nightfell of their own accord, and maybe someone would have ideas on how to catch the Followers. The scratching of Declan’s quill lulled me into a fitful repose. The rest of the night wasn’t any better, as we both tossed and turned in bed. I only dozed when I plastered myself tohis side. He would shift away and I would wake up again.
For every hour I lost sleep, another dream of pain seeped into my bones. Even a few hours of rest would have helped, but it wasn't to be. I couldn’t deny it. I couldn’t drowse because the bond Declan and I shared, friend, mate, or whatever you wanted to call it, itched at my insides with agitation. Declan growled in his dreams, actually thundered like the gigantic wolf he had turned into. The bass rumble shook my soul in warning.
Hide.
Make yourself small, because death is coming.
I hadn’t seen what happened on the hill, but enough wolves had passed through the house during supper that I got the gist of Percy taunting them. They all reported what they learned to Declan was like a round peg desperately trying to fit into a square hole, as pain and fatigue fought in my mind. Unfortunately, all the searching hadn’t amounted to much. Not even the keen senses of a shifter had picked up any sign of the monks in the Dell they should have been living in.
The sunrise peeking through the curtains was as unwelcome as it got, but I decided I should try to start the day. Work always made things better, or at least stuffed them down harder. I would just slip around Declan, out of bed.
If only I could’ve moved. I tested my right hand, the better of the two, and it didn’t even twitch. Mybreath grew shallow. No. No. This couldn’t be happening. Yesterday was such a good day. I didn’t get too cold, took my potions. I did everything I was supposed to. Unwanted tears slipped out. My body lit on fire, shuddering with a full-blown attack. My throat closed and my breathing turned into a wheeze. I barely made a fist to scrub my tears away.
Not today, when I needed to make up for my day off yesterday. When an echo of that kiss I ought to forget still ghosted my lips.
I froze when Declan’s breathing changed. Luckily, we were back to back and I buried myself further under the blankets while I collected myself.
The mattress dipped as he turned to face me. I hunched further, evening out my breath.
His voice, low and scratchy, should have clenched my thighs, but it only made me feel more incapable. “What’s wrong?”
A singular eye canted in his direction between the layers of blankets. “I didn’t sleep very well. Just need a minute to get up.”
The lie tasted terrible. There was no way to get up. But every day I didn’t try was another day my illness won. Another chance for people to pull away. I waited for him to let it go, like he usually did, or to make a joke. His voice dropped an octave instead.
“Don’t lie to me.”
He actually bared his teeth at me and I dug in harder,wiggling deeper into my share of blankets like they would protect me from his scrutiny.
“It’s nothing.”
“Those are nothing tears?”
I didn’t like it, but he let it go when I got angry in the pantry. I knew enough to control my temper a little more
“Lay off. Don’t you have wolf things to do?”
I wanted to throw back the blankets dramatically and stomp into my safe kitchen space but my limbs hardened to stone. The other flares felt like gentle forehead kisses compared to this. No amount of willow bark tea or naps would make this pass.
Declan waited for my exit, too. When I winced, clutching the comforter, he slowly turned me over. My hands wouldn’t even swipe at my face.
