11. Chapter Eleven - Sen
Chapter Eleven - Sen
Kai carried Teagan away into his adjoining bathroom with Vidar’s help. Lucero’s soulmate, Golden, straightens the chairs that’d been knocked over in the confusion, and my youngest brother, Ramy, cleans Teagan’s blood from the carpet.
My muscles tightened with each passing second, my teeth clenched. The strain only recedes in slight increments when Teagan returns in Vidar’s arms, Kai at his heel.
I should’ve calmed when Vidar placed Teagan under his covers, Kai getting in beside his prone brother to wrap him in his arms and looking ready to attack if anyone dares to come close.
My jaw ticks.
Teagan shouldn’t be in Vidar’s bed. He should be in mine.
I take a step forward, and the glare Kai levels my way could scorch the earth. My molars grind as I step back, choking down the possessive jealousy dogging me ever since I was ordered to stay away from Teagan.
Staying away was for his own good.
He’d be safer.
And look how marvellously that all worked out.
Despite my frustrations, I don’t resent Kai for anything. Teagan getting hurt is on me. I knew something was wrong the second I sat down at the pub with Kate. Teagan needed me, and if I’d only been a few minutes sooner, he wouldn’t be…
“What spell was Summer trying to cast?” Lucero asks, his intense blue eyes dark.
“I have no idea, and we won’t until Teagan wakes up,” I bite out, staring at Teagan’s bloodless face. Too small, too quiet, and with not a single drop of paint on him. Washed clean in a way reserved only for the dead.
I hate it.
Hate that his curious gaze that tried to peel back my layers has been stolen from me. Hate that the last time I heard his raspy voice, it was twisted into a scream. Hate that he’s barely dipped a toe into our supernatural world, and already he’s come back bloody.
Golden sits beside the bed on the floor, legs crossed.
His knee jitters, causing his loose dark curls to bounce.
“We gotta talk about the spell she did do,” he says, glancing over his shoulder to Lucero and me.
“Teagan got hurt when you hurt Summer. Either something went haywire or worked. Either way, we have to break it.”
“This was a mistake,” I bite out. “That type of surprise on Summer’s face can’t be faked.”
“Maybe it’s time we call Astra Roth,” Ramy remarks quietly, standing behind Golden and staring down at Teagan, his dark hair brushed away from his face.
“Like hell,” Vidar growls, his thick legs rooted before the bed, bulging tattooed arms folded over his chest. “We can’t trust the leader of the blood mages with this.”
“Astra Roth told you she wants to help, Vidar,” Ramy says to our Maker gently. “We are out of our depth.”
“I said no.”
“Then who, Vidar?” Kai demands, eyes wet—desperate with rage and hurt like an animal backed into a corner. “The only fucking mage we could trust just tried to slice up my little brother!”
I run my tongue over my teeth, my canines aching to drop into fangs. “Before Teagan, I was following a lead that might have answers. I found an article about an old woman who died of blood loss with no wounds and alone in her flat.”
“How the fuck is that gonna help?” Kai barks, then startles as Teagan shifts in his sleep. Kai’s face instantly softens, and he smoothes a palm over Teagan’s curls until he settles. “It’s okay, Teagan, you’re okay…”
Every muscle in my body strains, demanding I go to Teagan and fix whatever the fuck this is. Instead, I fish my phone out and thrust it out for Vidar and Lucero, showing them the picture of the old woman. “Looks familiar, doesn’t she?”
“That can’t be a coincidence,” Luc utters.
Vidar shakes his head. “Dark hair with a strip of white going through,” he scoffs. “The resemblance to Emma and the Roth family is a strong one.”
Ramy comes over and glances at it. “But she’s old. Mages are immortal.”
“Only if they cast a spell of immortality,” Kai corrects.
“Maybe she didn’t want to live forever?” Golden offers.
“We have no way of knowing,” I say to cut off any further time-wasting speculation. “This is the only lead we have.”
“And if you find nothing?” Kai asks me, holding onto Teagan like he’s willing to go to hell to save him. Like I wouldn’t rip open the gates myself and blacken my soul in its fires for Teagan.
My jaw ticks again.
I don’t want Astra Roth, or any blood mage, anywhere near Teagan, but… “If we find nothing, then we contact Astra. Vidar and Lucero will come with me. How far away is Rurik? Someone needs to stay and look after Tea-...look after everyone.”
“I will,” Ramy jumps in.
“No.” I shut down that line of thinking like slamming a steel door. “You aren’t strong enough, Ramy. The last time you tried protecting the mates, they were all kidnapped.”
Hurt flashes in Ramy’s dark eyes, but I don’t have the capacity to feel guilty for my youngest brother. Not when it comes to Teagan.
“Rurik isn’t close,” Vidar interjects.
“Fuck sakes!” I snarl. “The one time we need his drunken ass and he’s gone missing!”
“I’ve already called someone else to help,” Vidar announces, his hard gaze never once swaying from Kai.
“If it’s Apollo, that little psycho will be even less help than Ramy,” I growl, chest rising, my gums throbbing where my fangs demand to elongate.
“Oi, calm down!” Golden snaps. “We’re all upset about Teagan, but you don’t need to start throwing insults, bellend.”
I go to say something, caring nothing for the harsh warning glare Lucero sends my way.
“Enough!” Vidar’s deep, commanding voice cuts in, silencing any further arguments. “It isn’t Apollo.”
Ding-ding.
“Who is that?”
Vidar doesn’t answer my question. His heavy stare lingers on Kai a moment longer before he stalks out of the room, pushing Lucero and me aside.
After a beat, I fight against my newly awakened instincts to be close to my helpless soulmate and follow Vidar to the front of the mansion. Encountering a familiar face when the door opens.
He’s handsome in an ordinary way, with an average build and a pale complexion tinted by a natural tawny tan.
He’s dressed smartly, but without any pomp his obnoxious personality provides—pressed black slacks, one hand tucked casually into a pocket, and a matching cashmere sweater with the sleeves artfully rolled to his elbows.
It’s his eyes that make him anything less than ordinary. That marks him as something more.
“Direwolf Grey Kobayashi,” I say, surprised to find him at our doorstep.
“Aren’t you lucky I came to help the family on such short notice?” he drawls, strolling in. His eyes, silver as a full moon, sweep over Vidar to land on me. “So you’ve found your soulmate?”
My friendship with Grey isn’t like Vidar’s, where my Maker refuses to admit it exists. However, even with all his power, Grey is still a young immortal, and I’m struggling to believe the leader of all British werewolf packs actually wants to be a glorified babysitter.
“You’re willing to protect him?” I demand.
Grey smiles, his pure silver eyes dancing. “You Haraldsson boys sure are a broody bunch.”
“Grey, follow me,” Vidar says in that annoying way where he has no doubt his order will be followed, and marches off. Even more annoying was that Grey and I actually trail after him, Grey smirking at me like we’re sharing a joke.
“Summer did something to my mate’s younger brother, Grey. We aren’t sure what, but it’s connected them somehow,” Vidar informs the Direwolf as we walk down the hallway.
“And you don’t trust Astra to help,” Grey guesses, voice tinged with an amusement I’d usually enjoy, but right now makes the back of my throat itch. “Wise, really, since her meeting with the other wolf packs didn’t go well.”
Vidar scoffs. “That witch won’t get the peace she claims to want.”
“Astra isn’t willing to give up just yet,” Grey tells Vidar as if he doesn’t care either way.
“The blood mages have spent thousands of years being a thorn in everyone’s collective sides,” I say. “Astra wanting peace is a joke. I only hope to get a good seat so I can laugh while watching the disgusting bastards fail.”
“And what a spectacular failure it was on Astra’s side. Her pride took a beating when meeting the packs, so I understand your hesitation about her help while she licks her wounds. Talking about wounds, Vidar mentioned you might’ve found a way to find our newly minted blood mage, Summer,” Grey says.
“It’s at least something,” I reply as we follow Vidar back into his room. Teagan remains motionless, and my only hope is that sleep is healing instead of harming him. “For Teagan, I’ll do whatever’s necessary.”
Vidar moves around Grey, aiming for Kai.
“The lengths people will go to for their soulmates…” Grey muses.
I glance at him. He’s the most widely connected of all the supernatural leaders, and if there’s one thing immortals love, it’s gossip. So if Grey had a soulmate, as a nosy immortal myself, I would’ve heard about it. “You understand?”
Grey arches a condescending eyebrow, as if I’d ask him something completely outlandish and remains silent.
“You must be Grey?” Kai asks.
“At your service.” Grey inclines his head. Lucero and I roll our eyes at the same time. “I’ll be your grand protector.”
Ramy scoffs, looking away with his arms crossed.
Vidar cups the scarred left side of Kai’s face and says, far gentler than I thought him capable of, “We won’t be long. Call me if anything happens, little prince. I will answer no matter what.”
Kai nods, his jade eyes filling with tears, and his hand reaching for his braids that hide his scars.
Vidar presses his forehead to Kai’s, shielding his mate from view, whispering promises as a wet, quiet hiccup shakes his young mate’s chest.
I stand a cavernous distance from Teagan. I want him to wake up, but what will he make of all this when he does?