Chapter 7 #2
I blinked and stood with that for a second.
My wolf was right. In every sense that mattered to pack law and to the bond humming in my chest, she was my wife. The ceremony was done. The binding complete. The mate bond had recognized the truth when we spoke our vows.
I uncrossed my arms and walked over to join her.
She was juggling three vials and trying to cap a fourth while her notebook hovered at an awkward angle.
I held out my hand.
She glanced at me before passing over the vials without comment, and went back to her research.
We worked together. She collected samples. I held things. Occasionally she’d dictate observations to her pen, her voice steady and confident.
Above us, Acorn swung through the canopy, providing running commentary in Victoria’s mind.
“He says the trees here grow differently,” she said at one point. “Twisted roots, like they’re reaching for something beneath the soil instead of water.”
I filed that away.
Later she said, “He spotted a very fat bird. He wants me to know it’s an impressive specimen of—” She paused, her head tilting. “I’m not relaying that. It’s rude.”
I bit back a smile.
And once, she turned to me, her expression soft. “He says… Well. He’s making observations about us that I suspect he’s lightening before passing along.”
“Smart squirrel,” I said.
She shot me a look before returning to her work.
At one point, she stilled, wrapping her arms around herself. It was shady here, near the river, the air damp and cool where the water misted up from the rocks.
I stepped to the side, blocking the wind.
She didn’t seem to notice. And I was glad she didn’t.
Later, Victoria straightened, capping her last vial with a decisive twist. She said something to her pen, and it scratched a final notation before going still.
A rustle in the undergrowth caught my attention. A moment later, Tristen emerged from the tree line with a brace of rabbits over his shoulder. He stopped when he saw us, eyes cutting from Victoria to me.
“Alpha.” He dipped his head, then nodded at my wife. “Lady Victoria.”
“Tristen.” Victoria straightened from her crouch by the water’s edge. “I asked you to check on something for me. Have you noticed anything unusual about the animals in this area? Illness, disorientation, or avoidance of certain zones?”
He shook his head. “I asked around. They all appear healthy, far as anyone can tell. Nothing’s avoiding this stretch of creek that I’ve seen.”
Victoria’s pen scratched across her notebook. “No environmental contamination then. The cause must be shifter-specific.” She looked up at me. “That narrows it considerably.”
Tristen’s gaze moved between us again. He nodded once and slipped back into the woods, no doubt heading for home.
“I’m not learning much here,” she told me, frustration leaking through in her voice.
“I haven’t detected any contamination, though I’ll need to test the samples.
There’s no obvious magical disturbance, but when I return next, I’ll bring some devices I’ve created with magic to dig deeper.
The water appears clean, the soil composition feels completely normal when I study it with magic, and even the ambient power levels are consistent with the rest of your territory. ”
“You’re saying we came here for nothing.”
“We came here to eliminate variables.” She tucked the vials into her pockets. “Which is exactly what we did.” Stepping back, she tilted her head back, peering up at the canopy. “Acorn. It’s time to go.”
A rustle rang out above, and he flew down, landing on my shoulder instead of hers.
We both froze.
The squirrel sat there, looking extremely pleased with himself, clutching a sprig of something purple and white in his tiny paws.
He chittered to Victoria.
“He says he likes the smell of this plant,” she said. “If he can find more, he’s going to hoard it.”
She reached over and plucked the sprig from his paws, examining it with the same attention she gave everything else.
“Duskburst,” she said. “A common flowering herb. It has no medicinal properties I’m aware of, and no toxic compounds. It’s harmless.” She handed it back to Acorn, who tucked it against his chest with both paws. “You can keep it.”
He launched off my shoulder, back to hers.
Duskburst.
I knew my territory, and I knew my plants. I’d spent years learning every tree, herb, and mushroom that grew in this forest.
Duskburst didn’t grow in this part of the territory. It preferred drier soil, southern exposure, and elevation at least a hundred feet higher than where we currently stood.
Was someone terraforming or altering the environment with magic?
Only one particular person could be involved.
Bastian. The alpha of the northern pack had been testing our borders for years, probing for weakness.
If he’d found a way to poison the territory rather than challenge it directly, then we weren’t dealing with a border dispute anymore.
“We can go home now,” Victoria said, brushing dirt from her skirts.
Home?
She’d said it without thinking, casual and easy.
My wolf perked up, pleased.
I filed that away too, right next to the duskburst question and the way she’d leaned into me when her legs buckled.
She looked up, met my eyes. An unspoken feeling passed between us. Before I could let myself examine it further, I shifted, dropped to my belly, and she climbed on.
Her thighs settled over my shoulders. Her fingers found my ruff.
And I ran us home.