Twenty-Eight

 

I marveled at the pure white sigils that wove their way over the back of my hands and up my arms. Each design was unique, a beautiful delicate work of art that stained my skin and marked me as hers. Alasdair’s smile radiated in the darkness, his eyes shining with happiness. I brushed my lips over his and embraced the moment. Alasdair gently lifted my hand and brushed his thumb over the fresh sigils there, his eyes drinking in the details, the beautiful smile slowly growing wider. I could feel his happiness. It was a soft sensation in the back of my mind.

“Is that part of the bond?” I whispered.

“We’ll be able to feel the stronger emotions within each other, yes,” he said as he leaned in and rested his cheek against mine.

The touch was so natural. My wolf leaned into him and embraced him for what he was. That side of me wanted to curl up in his arms before exploring every inch of him in a teasing fashion, but I wasn’t ready. Not yet. Alasdair’s lips fluttered against my cheek before he stepped back and gave me room to really think about everything. The sky above us felt different, somehow. I was aware of her now. Her presence felt like a gauzy cloak that weighed against my skin in a perpetual caress. I was a Guardian. I had been chosen, and I would finally make the world a brighter, better place.

Alasdair took my hand and led me out of the circle, where Grayson pulled me into a tight hug and held my upper arms, grinning at me.

“Congratulations! The sigils are really striking on your skin. You’re going to make her proud.”

I couldn’t help but return his grin. “Thanks, Gray, I don’t think it’s quite sunk in yet.”

“You make a beautiful pair,” Saoirse said as she smiled at us.

I could feel the goddess in her and see the silvery-white shine in her eyes.

“Go and enjoy the evening together, you have work to do tomorrow,” Saoirse said.

“I’ll bring coffee at eight. I don’t expect you’ll get much sleep tonight,” Gray said with a knowing spark in his eye.

I looked down and away for a second, unsure quite how to respond. He meant well, but everything was beginning to overwhelm me. Alasdair’s arm wrapped around my waist, and the feeling of safety and calm enveloped me. Together, we would take on the world. I brushed my fingers over his and smiled at the soothing sensation that came with the contact. I hoped I never lost the small ember of happiness that brought me.

 

 

Despite what Grayson might have expected, the night wasn’t much different from the others that had come before it. Alasdair had run his fingers over my new sigils, and I’d remained relaxed as I delighted in the happiness on his face as he did so. His touch had been feather-light and curious. There was no expectation of more there, and I was thankful for it.

I held his arm close to my chest when he began to wake.

“Just one more minute,” I whispered as I slowly woke.

I was growing comfortable with the feeling of him. I wanted to make the most of that and enjoy every little step we made together. He relaxed around me and grazed his teeth over my throat. His joy at having my wanting him close filled some new space within me and made me smile. It was such a pure innocent emotion. I’d never felt so wanted or loved before. It was a new sensation that threatened to make me giddy if I wasn’t careful.

“If this guy’s making Tempo from stolen witchlings and such, surely there’s got to be some sign of that? How do you run a business on this scale and keep it completely hidden?” I asked as I took the last chocolate chip cereal bar.

“We’re going for a run in an hour,” Alasdair said.

“You don’t mean the good kind of run in our wolf forms, do you?” I said flatly.

He grinned at me, and I sighed.

“That didn’t answer my question about Tempo,” I said.

Grayson came into the apartment carrying what smelled like gloriously strong coffee.

“Yes, there must be some clues somewhere. I’ll see if I can speak to someone in the courier business, and customs, too. This is coming in from outside of the country, so someone on the border knows about it,” Alasdair said.

Gray handed me a cup of coffee and frowned at the lack of food in the kitchen cupboard where the breakfast food should have been.

“Looks like you need to go shopping, Niko,” he said with a smile.

I raised an eyebrow at him. “Are you volunteering?”

He laughed and made himself comfortable in his usual armchair.

“What are we discussing this fine morning?” he asked.

I narrowed my eyes at him.

“You’re very awake and bouncy…”

“I went for a run earlier. It always puts me in a good mood.”

Alasdair smirked at me. I muttered curses under my breath and took a gulp of my coffee.

“We’re trying to figure out where to look for this Tempo. You can’t hide a business that big. There has to be people who can tell us where the bastard that’s doing this is. What about the alchemists, do they have a council or something we can hassle?” I asked.

Gray rocked his hand back and forth. “Some do, some don’t. Alchemists don’t much like anyone interfering in their business. They tried to put one together in Prague, but Kadrix led what threatened to be a full-scale revolt against it.”

“And your uncles don’t have anything more? Who else would know? There has to be some people who saw the witchlings and such be taken. They didn’t just vanish into the ether,” I said.

“We could try and find a seer, but they’re rare and there’s a good chance they still wouldn’t be able to help us,” Alasdair said.

“The witches are clearly useless. They must have some spell or something they could use, but if they were going to they’d have done so by now,” I said.

“And they’re hardly going to be honest on their business paperwork,” Gray added.

“We’re missing something,” I growled.

“I’m going for a shower,” Alasdair said.

“No, that’s definitely not it, and why are you going for a shower before you go for a run?” I asked him.

He shrugged. “I feel dirty. I don’t want to feel dirty.”

I laughed at him and ran my fingers through his hair. “And you said I should be a cat.”