Chapter 8
Rourke leaned back in his chair and gestured for Ulric to explain to everyone about the wards.
"I don't know how they work. He walked around the forest closest to the pack house, bled on the trees, and set up an invisible spiderweb of magic."
"A spiderweb?" Rourke was confused. He believed he'd circled the area.
"He explained it as a spiderweb, but I only think he did the border. Maybe he can do it in the shape of a spiderweb. I don't know."
"Wait, what?" Tala frowned, and Ulric sighed.
"I don't know. I asked some questions but--" He shrugged. "He said it's like a magic spiderweb. If someone gets tangled in the thread, the signal will travel through and tell us where the breach is."
"And they do this? The witches, I mean? All of them?"
"Would explain why we've never managed to sneak onto their land.
" Rourke almost cursed his stupidity. Couldn't they have researched it somehow?
Witches were tight-lipped about their abilities, but every time they had tried to attack, they'd run into trouble.
They should've understood they had some sort of alarm system.
"Ezra said it's better when there are many witches. Now his magic is the only thing keeping it alive. Should he die or be blocked from his magic the ward will fall."
Ice swept through Rourke. "He can't die." If he died, Rourke would die.
Everyone ignored him.
"How does a witch get blocked from their magic?" Geri directed the question to Ulric.
"I don't know. I asked, and he said a name, and that they could do it, but then he looked like he regretted talking about it, so I didn't push."
"Can we trust what he says?" Farkas crossed his arms over his chest. "What if they sent him here to give us the wrong information? The wards might not work at all. Maybe he did it to lull us into a false sense of security."
Rourke looked at Geri. He had an uncanny way of sensing when things were about to go wrong, but he only got a shrug in reply.
"Considering he cut himself over and over, I don't think he did it for shits and giggles. If he wanted to trick us, he could've sprinkled salt or herbs or something along the border, not his blood."
Rourke nodded at Ulric's words. "And he smelled of magic."
"But not the same kind we're used to smelling." Ulric held his gaze for a couple of seconds.
"No, maybe it smells differently when they do ward work compared to when they're turning people inside out."
There was a hum and a few nods, then silence descended.
"Ezra said he can't do spell work."
"Meaning?" Geri rubbed his neck.
"I'm not entirely sure, but he said he can't cast a spell or a curse on someone. Then he looked embarrassed and fiddled with the braids. Those damn braids are important. When I asked about them yesterday, he said the more braids you have, the more you've proven yourself to the clan."
Rourke tried not to glare at Ulric, but why was Ezra explaining things to him when it was Rourke who was his mate?
"And the tattoos enhance their power." Ulric kept talking as if he couldn't sense Rourke's eyes on him. Maybe he couldn't. "He doesn't have any."
"Why? Doesn't he want to enhance his power?" Rourke would've gotten a tattoo if it had made him stronger. At least he believed he would.
"I got the feeling it wouldn't help him. Something with the lack of spell-casting ability perhaps."
"What does he do then?" Farkas sounded annoyed.
Ulric shrugged. "Wards?"
Geri leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table.
"The more braids they have, the more important they are to the clan.
The more piercings and jewelry and tattoos they have, the more powerful they are.
Ezra hardly has any. He has two braids, one lip piercing, and his ears.
The others are covered in ink and metal.
My guess is they've given us their weakest member. "
Rourke was inclined to agree, and he was sure it was meant as an insult. "I think you're right."
"Don't underestimate him." Annoyance tinged Ulric's voice. "He knows things, and I'm pretty sure he'll share. He needs to find his feet here, but I don't think the loyalty to his clan runs deep."
"He might be playing us. When he's back home, all his hair might be in braids, and how fast can they heal piercings? Maybe he was covered in them before he came here." Farkas cracked his knuckles, looking ready to attack something.
Rourke thought back on how Ezra's hands and arms had bled when he washed them in the sink.
Had he been a shifter, those cuts would've been if not healed then at least properly scabbed over by then, but Ezra healed slowly.
"I don't think he'd have the time to heal piercings between us agreeing on a mating and him coming here. "
Ulric hummed in agreement. "Doesn't heal fast."
"No, he doesn't heal fast."
Farkas raised his lip for half a second, showing off still human teeth, but a clear indication he was agitated. "Unless they have a healing spell."
"True. Time will tell." Rourke didn't much care about the piercings other than he was glad Ezra didn't have more.
He could live with a lip ring and the ears.
It wasn't worse than most humans these days, but he was glad there weren't rings and barbells through every pierceable area of his face.
He had no say in the matter, but small blessings.
When no one spoke, Rourke placed a hand on the table. "If no one has anything else..." He let it hang in the air, and when no one said anything, he stood. "I'll see if Ezra can hook me up to the ward tomorrow. Maybe I can learn more about how it works."
The others nodded and got up. One after the other, they filed out of the office, and Ulric sidled up to him. "How's he doing?"
Rourke was about to snarl how his mate was doing was none of his concern, but he caught himself in time and squashed the impulse. Ezra was his mate in name only, and Ulric was right to be worried. He'd seen him bleed. "I got him some food, and he was washing up when I left him."
Ulric nodded. "I don't think he's a spy or whatever. I know Farkas is right to be concerned, but I can't see it."
Rourke couldn't either, but you had to be cautious around witches. "I'll have him add me to the ward tomorrow. It alerts us when witches cross over?"
"Humans too, I think. Not entirely sure."
He'd ask Ezra. "Okay." He clapped Ulric's shoulder. "See you tomorrow."
Ulric nodded and slipped into his room as Rourke headed for his door. The room was dark, but he could hear teeth chattering. What the fuck? He hurried forward and took in the quivering form on the bed.
"Ezra?" He placed his hand on Ezra's shoulder. No reaction. His eyes were closed, a frown marring his forehead, and his teeth kept chattering. It wasn't cold in here.
An invisible hand squeezed his heart. What was wrong? "Ezra!" He shook him and got a groan in return.
Rourke touched his forehead. He was burning up. Shit. What did you do when someone had a fever? Shifters didn't get fevers, not unless they were gravely injured.
He pulled off his clothes down to his underwear and climbed into bed. Ezra was fully clothed. He allowed a low grown and reached for the button in his jeans. It was not comfortable sleeping in jeans, and skin-to-skin would warm him better.
When he got them unzipped and tugged, Ezra flailed. A distressed sound built in his throat, and he tried to push Rourke's hands away only to hiss as his cut palms curled around Rourke's wrists.
"Hey. It's me." Not the reassurance he'd believed it would be. Ezra pushed harder, and wetness spread on Rourke's skin before the scent of blood filled the room.
"Ezra. Stop."
He froze.
"I'm removing your jeans, so you can sleep more comfortably. Don't you have some pajama bottoms?" If he feared being without his clothes in bed, pajamas would help.
A small head shake. Right. Rourke would have to get him some pajamas. He tugged at the jeans and made sure his trunks stayed in place. Once he got Ezra's feet free of the fabric, he pulled off his socks too. It was not comfortable to sleep in socks.
"Are you sick?" He crept up his body and gathered him in his arms, pressing Ezra's back to his chest and covering as much of his backside as he could. Ezra was stiff as a board, still shaking, but the teeth chattering had stopped.
"No."
"This isn't a fever?" He was way warmer than he should be.
"Drained."
"Drained of what?" If he was drained of magic, he should've tapped into Rourke's power. It was how matings worked. You were linked to your mate.
"Bigger area than I've done before."
Rourke nodded. He didn't think Ezra was faking. He'd set up a magic barrier, it had taken a lot of him to do it, and now he was suffering the consequences. But why hadn't he taken energy from Rourke? They were mated.
"Try to sleep." He tucked Ezra tighter against him, more or less covering his much smaller body with his own.
* * * *
Ezra woke to a loud bang, then he was pushed into the mattress and a growl filled the darkness. Every hair on his body stood on end.
The light clicked on, and Ulric hurried toward the bed dressed in nothing but underwear. Rourke flew to his knees, dark claws gleaming on his hands.
"Ezra." Ulric ground to a stop several steps from the bed, ignoring the snarling in-between monster crouched over Ezra. "Look." He held his arms up and every hair stood on end, gooseflesh covering his entire body, and Ezra noticed he too had clawed hands.
"What's happening?" Ulric peeled his lips back and showed off sharp teeth.
The breath stuttered in Ezra's chest, and a whimper escaped him.
Monsters. He'd known, but they'd shown a civil side so far.
He tried to scurry backward, tried to get away, but he was a powerless witch in a room full of nightmarish creatures.
"Ezra?" Ulric took a step closer, and Rourke stopped snarling and looked at him. His eyes were the glowing amber they'd been the first time Ezra had seen them. He'd forgotten. How could he have forgotten?
Ezra held up his hands in a vain attempt to shield himself. When nothing happened for several long seconds, he peeked at Rourke again. He was still watching him with amber eyes, but confusion had formed on his face.
"Why does Ulric have goosebumps all over?" His tone was raspy, growly, and yet almost gentle.
Realization dawned. "Ward. Someone must've crossed the border."
Ulric and Rourke exchanged a look, and Rourke got off the bed, leaving Ezra to squint in the overhead light. He hadn't realized how much Rourke had shaded it.
"It's the ward?" Ulric looked at his arm again, the hair still standing. "How many and where did they cross?"
Ezra stared at him. "I don't know."
"You don't know?" Ulric gestured at his arm. "How don't you feel this?"
"The ward is connected to you, not me."
"It's not connected to you?"
Ezra shook his head. His magic was keeping it alive, but the ward was Ulric's.
"But it's your magic."
"Witches don't remain connected to wards unless they want to. Many sell wards. It would drive them insane if they were connected to all of them."
"This is all very interesting, and something we should discuss later--" Rourke sounded annoyed, and Ezra flinched. "--but right now we need to figure out who's on our land, and where they crossed."
Ezra gestured at Ulric, but Ulric shook his head. "I don't know."
"How many breaches did you feel?"
Ulric frowned at him. "What do you mean?"
"What woke you?"
"It washed over me."
Ezra nodded. "Once, twice, fifteen times?"
His mouth dropped open, then he snapped it shut and narrowed his eyes. "Two, I think."
"And where?"
"I don't know where!"
Ezra sighed. He'd always been able to tell where someone had walked through his barrier, and Ulric should too. Unless he'd messed up when he'd set the wards. Unease slithered through him. Could he have? "You don't feel the area?"
Ulric's eyes narrowed.
"Close your eyes and feel."
To Ezra's surprise, he did. No one ever listened to him, but this monster of a man did what Ezra told him to.
"Yeah, maybe. It's like there is a vibration by the big oak."
Ezra nodded, relief flooding him. He hadn't messed up the ward. "The spiderweb signal."
Ulric gave him a sharp grin. "You're saying two witches have crossed onto our land by the big oak."
"I don't know if they're witches, only you can tell."
"How do I--"
"Either way, we need to move. They won't stay by the oak.
" Rourke pushed off his underwear, and Ezra instantly averted his gaze, then there was a tug in his chest. So weird.
He rubbed it and looked at the massive, reddish-brown wolf creature.
He didn't look like a wild wolf. He was too big, his claws too sharp, and his teeth more like a cat's, but in every other way, he was a wolf.
Glowing eyes met his. Ezra gulped down a breath and edged back on the bed. The creature huffed and sauntered toward the corridor.
Ulric followed and closed the door behind them, leaving Ezra to stare at it. What was he supposed to do now?
* * * *