“Sit down before you fall down,” Viktor ordered, pulling out a kitchen chair.
“I’m fine…”
“You’re dead on your feet.” Viktor guided Ant into the chair and grabbed two glasses from the cabinet. “You need to have a drink.”
He filled both with water and handed one to Ant, who took it obediently and drained half in one go, which Viktor was pleased about. The mage had been bleeding magic for hours, and Robert had already warned him that dehydration was a genuine risk. Viktor was tempted to put on the coffee machine, but he knew if he did that, Ant wouldn’t go to bed, and that’s what he actually needed to do.
Viktor drank his own glass more slowly, watching Ant through the kitchen window’s reflection. His mate’s face was pale, shadows bruising the skin beneath his gray eyes. There were still a few specks of blood on his face, around his nose in particular, and his skin looked washed out.
He looks like he went ten rounds with a heavyweight,and in a way, he had. Claudius’s ward-trap had been designed to break a mage’s mind, to drown them in repeated trauma until they fractured. If Viktor hadn’t been able to reach through their bond...
He cut off that line of thinking and focused on practical matters. Food. Ant needed food, and so did he.
Viktor pulled out bread, deli meat, cheese, and mustard. It wasn’t anything close to the steak he’d rather be eating, but Ant didn’t need anything fancy. The protein and calories would help Ant’s body recover, and sandwiches were quick to make and easy to eat. He assembled a stack of sandwiches within minutes, divided them onto two plates, added some chips to each plate because Ant liked them, and set one in front of his mate.
“Eat, babe.”
Ant picked up the sandwich and bit into it, chewing slowly. Viktor sat across from him and started on his own food, keeping half his attention on the yard where Able was thoroughly investigating every corner, and half on Ant. They ate in silence. Ant managed half his sandwich and a handful of chips before pushing the plate away, his eyelids already half-closed.
“More water,” Viktor prompted, refilling Ant’s glass.
Ant drank again, then set the glass down carefully. “Thank you.”
It’s just a glass of water and a few sandwiches.But something in Ant’s tone had Viktor asking, “For what?”
“For reaching me. In the vision.” Ant’s voice was quiet. “I didn’t get the chance to say anything before, but I genuinely couldn’t find my way out on my own. That’s never happened to me before.”
Viktor’s chest tightened. “I wasn’t going to let that bastard trap you.”
“I know.” Ant’s lips curved in a faint smile. “That’s why I called out for you.”
Because you trusted I’d come.Viktor reached across the table and squeezed Ant’s hand. “Always, babe. Always.”
Able came running in, already seeming a lot happier now that they were home. The German shepherd immediately went to Ant, resting his head on Ant’s thigh.
“Hey there,” Ant murmured, stroking Able’s ears. “I bet you feel so much better now, too.”
The dog’s tail wagged slowly, and Viktor watched them both - his exhausted mate and the loyal animal who’d stood guard despite likely being terrified himself. The pressure from the magic itself was enough to have Able’s nerves on edge before they’d evengone through the front gates, yet he stuck to his training and did all that was expected of him.
Because he sees us as hisfamily.Viktor could understand the feeling. Ant, and Able, and to a lesser degree Bridget and even Robert, had all pulled together, and they’d all survived. After so many years of only caring for himself and living in the shadows, Viktor had found something worth protecting. And he’d almost lost it today.
“Come on.” Viktor stood and held out his hand. “Bed.”
“I should shower…”
“Tomorrow.” Viktor pulled Ant gently to his feet. “Right now you need to sleep.”
Ant didn’t argue, which told Viktor exactly how depleted his mate was. Able followed them through the house as Viktor guided Ant toward the stairs.
Halfway up, Ant’s legs buckled slightly.
“Fuck this.” Viktor scooped Ant into his arms, ignoring his weak protest. “You weigh nothing, precious. Stop squirming.”
Ant relaxed against Viktor’s chest with a tired sigh. “I can walk.”
“Sure you can. Humor me anyway.”
Viktor carried his mate up the remaining stairs and into their bedroom. Setting Ant carefully on the edge of the bed, he knelt to untie Ant’s shoes.
