Chapter 27
Chapter
Twenty-Seven
ZANDER
I headed to my car and drove to the Omega House, the wipers working overtime to clear rain from the windshield.
There was already a Jeep parked outside with a dog crate on the back, fortunately enclosed to protect the dog within from the elements.
All I could see of it was a black and white splotched nose poking through a small slot in the front.
I got out of my car and grabbed the umbrella that lived in the back to shelter myself from the rain.
However, the umbrella was made redundant only seconds later when Nathaniel stepped out of the car and created a shield around us that kept the rain and wind out.
It was only now that I was closer to the car that I realized there was also a small bubble of protected air around the dog crate.
“This is Jilly,” he said, reaching through the slot in the crate to pet the dog’s nose. “Warlocks don’t have familiars, but we can use animal companions to ground us when we perform magic and she’s mine. It’s her job to alert me if I start to push too hard, kind of like a service animal.”
“I didn’t know that.”
He nodded. “We don’t share it widely because we don’t want our pets to be targeted. I’m telling you because in the future an animal like this might be helpful for your Reid.” He motioned to the door. “Let’s not hover out here long enough for them to get nervous.”
I strode over to the front door and knocked. When Hamish answered, he had Reid at his side. Reid gave me that shy smile I absolutely adored—the one that lacked his usual sharp edge—and I warmed inside, reminded of how he’d felt in my arms.
Unfortunately, Reid’s eyes widened as soon as his gaze landed on Nathaniel and he backed up, bumping into the door. A squeak of terror burst from him and even though I was confident that Nathaniel meant him no harm, part of me wanted to pin the other warlock down just for causing Reid distress.
Hamish’s expression darkened. “Who is this man?” he demanded, stepping between Reid and Nathaniel.
A growl tore from my throat and I immediately ducked my head. “Sorry. My bear doesn’t like seeing you between us and our mate.”
Hamish’s eyes narrowed. “Well, I’ll be here until you explain.”
I gestured to Nathaniel. “This is Warlock Nathaniel Birch. He’s a retired PBI agent and he’s here to help us with some of the problems we’ve been having.”
Hamish’s jaw worked, but he nodded as if satisfied and stepped to the side enough for me to see Reid. My little warlock tiptoed forward, visibly trembling but trying to be brave. My chest squeezed. I would never let anything happen to him.
“Can you sense the magic?” he asked quietly, his gaze darting between Nathaniel and the ground, as if unsure where to look.
Nathaniel tilted his chin thoughtfully. “I sense something that may be remnants of a magical surge, but I’ll need to investigate further once I settle into my accommodation and unpack my tools. I understand that you’re a warlock too, Reid?”
Reid glanced at me, his eyebrows flying up as if he were surprised the stranger knew his name. “I am.”
Nathaniel hobbled forward a step, perhaps emphasizing his injury to make himself seem less threatening. “Are you interested in learning more about spell craft?”
Reid’s eyes widened even further. “Are you serious?”
“Of course.” He tilted his head consideringly. “Will you come out of the wards for a moment?”
“I’ll protect you,” I promised when he hesitated. I didn’t know why Nathaniel wanted him outside the wards, but there must be a reason for it.
“You’d better not be up to anything,” Hamish warned.
Nathaniel’s lips curled. “I’m not, Protector. You can be at ease.”
Hamish scowled, and when Reid began to move forward, Hamish linked their arms and kept pace with him. I was glad he was another omega. If an alpha had done the same thing, my bear might have seen it as a challenge.
“Hmm,” Nathaniel said as they drew nearer. “Yes, I see the situation now. If you are willing, I would like to stay in Grizzly Ridge for a while and begin your training in earnest. It will take several months, at least.”
I jerked, caught off guard not by the offer but by how long he expected it to take. He’d said he wouldn’t mind going over the basics, but I’d thought he’d be here for a week or two at most.
Reid looked at me, his eyebrows knitted together, as if he expected me to object.
“If you want to, you should do it,” I urged him.
He turned to Nathaniel. “I’m pregnant. Will training put my baby at risk?”
Nathaniel smiled softly. “Not at all. In fact, knowing how to use your magic will mean you’re less likely to lose control and cause them harm.”
Reid nodded decisively. “Then I’ll do it. How would it work?”
Nathaniel grinned. “I’ll come back tomorrow with a plan. How’s that?”
“Okay.” Reid glanced at me again and then straightened his shoulders. “I’ll see you then.”
We turned and made our way slowly back to the vehicles. Nathaniel smelled strongly of anticipation and I knew he wanted to share something with me, but he waited until the door clicked shut before doing so.
“Reid has one of the largest internal wells of magic that I’ve ever seen,” he murmured, low enough that I only picked it up because of my shifter hearing.
“He does?”
“Yes, and the wariness he displayed wasn’t just because I’m an alpha or a stranger. He was worried because I’m a warlock. That tells me he’s scared of his own kind. Taking the sheer volume of his magic into account, I’d say it’s likely he’s been used by other warlocks for his magic.”
“Wouldn’t his parents have stopped that?”
Nathaniel grimaced. “Not if they were involved. Look, I could be wrong, but not all parents are like yours. There’s a chance his are abusive. Warlock covens can be very hierarchical, and if someone in a leadership role took exception to how strong he is, he might have suffered because of it.”
My palms stung and I looked down and jolted at the sight of blood pooling in them from where my claws had curled into the flesh. I quickly retracted my claws and wiped my hands on my uniform.
“Zander.” He hesitated. “With as much power as he has, Reid could prove very dangerous if he isn’t trained properly. That needs to be a priority, not an afterthought.”
Ah, now his suddenly extended stay made more sense. He was unwilling to leave a ticking time bomb in Grizzly Ridge.
“Are you sure you’re able to stay here for that long?” I asked, grateful to him but not wanting to disrupt his life too much. “If it doesn’t suit, we can find someone else. Perhaps you even have a suggestion.”
“No. I want to train him.” He paused, then added, “But I also think I can help him in other ways too.”
“How?” I demanded.
He pursed his lips and seemed to be second-guessing himself. “I don’t want you to get carried away about this.”
“About what?” I asked, confused.
He leaned closer. “With my magic, I can feel both his broken mating bond and the scarring that accompanies it. If Reid wants it, I can heal the scarring so the mate bite that was forced on him disappears.”
My heart banged against the inside of my rib cage. “You can do that?”
“Yes.” He clicked his fingers and a spark appeared. “Easy as that. I didn’t want to mention it in front of him yet because he’s so fragile, but it’s a possibility.”
Warmth filled my chest. He could remove that awful scar from Reid and cleanse everything it signified.
Hopefully, Reid would want that. And hopefully, some day, he’d allow me to replace it with a consensual mating mark.