Chapter Seventeen
Sebastian
When Alrick and I padded back into town in in our four-legged forms, Jackal and Vlad were nowhere to be seen. Harry was stretched out on the park bench, dozing in the early dawn light.
He sat up, stretching, and gave us an easy smile.
“Feeling better, are you?” He teased Alrick, winking at me. “Just in time, too. Dragon Airways is about ready to take off.”
I chuffed in amusement, shaking my head and paused when his eyes widened.
“Oh.” Harry’s expression shifted from amused to concerned. “Seb, can you come over here, please?
I glanced at Alrick but he didn’t seem concerned, so I walked over to stand in front of Harry. He tilted my head to the side and gently touched my neck. The sudden twinge of pain surprised me, but not as much as the anger clouding his eyes as he looked over at Alrick.
“Did you get his consent, first?”
Consent? I looked between them, my confusion must have been evident, because Harry shook his head.
“That’s a claim bite, Seb,” Harry explained quietly. “He’s bonded you to him.”
Oh. Oh! I turned to the large wolf behind me that was staring sheepishly at the ground. Really? Alrick was really mine? A small warm seed blossomed in my chest and began to grow. I backtracked to his side and rubbed my cheek against his, licking under his chin when he raised his head.
“My Alpha,” I thought to myself again, as I lowered my body in submission, eager to accept what I never thought I’d have.
“Okay, then.” Harry sighed deeply. “Let’s get back to the castle and then we can sort this out.”
***
“Where is he?” I growled, looking around the great room where Spencer and I were watching baby Lizzie play in front of the fire. Once Alrick had finished filling Harry and Spencer in on our adventure, he’d disappeared without a word.
Spence laughed.
“What?”
“Nothing,” Spence grinned, missing the innocent look he was trying for by a mile.
“Mmm hmmm.”
“Really,” Spence snickered. “Okay, it might be kind of funny that the last time I saw you, you wanted nothing to do with Alrick and now you can’t stand to be away from him.”
I narrowed my eyes at my friend and his grin widened. I gave up and huffed out a sigh, my fingers creeping up to worry the bite wound on my neck.
“You know I can’t help it,” I said, closing my eyes. “I know it's only been a few hours, but I haven’t seen Alrick since we got back.”
“He’s not avoiding you,” Spence responded to my unspoken concern. “He’s been up in Harry’s office checking in with his boss. I guess they’re pretty worried about the way you two were grabbed.” Spence’s brow creased. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah,” I rubbed my hand over my face. “Doc. Morgan is going to be here in a bit, just to be sure.”
Spence nodded. Of course, he already knew that.
“I think maybe I’ll lie down for a bit after he’s done.”
After Doc. Morgan had poked, prodded, and pronounced me fit as a fiddle, I tried to nap, but the tingling under my skin kept me awake and anxious. Instead, I wandered out into the courtyard and stared up at the moon.
Before I heard or scented him, I felt Alrick’s approach in the calming of the prickling irritation thrumming through my body. Strong arms wrapped around my waist, drawing me back against his body, and his lips caressed the bite he’d left on me, his tongue stroking over the raised skin.
“I have to go home for a bit,” he said without preamble.
“When do we leave?” I asked, tilting my head back to allow his questing mouth more room.
“You’re not coming,” he told me, his voice hitching slightly. “You can’t. I’ll be staying in the barracks, and there really isn’t a place that you’d be safe.”
“But the claim,” I argued. “We can’t be separated that long.”
“I know,” Alrick assured me. “It will only be a problem for a few days, though, and I spoke with Doctor Morgan about it. He has some medication that will keep you comfortable.”
“Oh.” Something in Alrick’s voice worried me, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. “You won’t be gone long?”
“I told you, it will only be a problem for a couple of days,” Alrick’s voice hardened.
“Yes, Alpha.” The firmness in his tone, the distance in his voice cause a flare of fear in the pit of my stomach. Alrick caught the change in my scent immediately and tried to soothe me.
“Everything is going to be fine, baby, I promise.” He said, kissing my neck. “Everything will be back to normal soon.”
“When do you leave?” I asked resignedly.
“In the morning,” he whispered. “I’m booked on a flight at nine.”
“Oh.” I didn’t know what else to say. I felt his arms tighten a little more, his body pressing harder against me, and I turned in his embrace. Emboldened by the thought of being separated from my Alpha so soon after we’d bonded, I slid one hand down between our bodies to stroke his hardening flesh. “Alpha? Can we…?”
His answering growl as he thrust against my palm reassured me the, for the moment at least, everything was okay. What I didn't know at that moment was that the comfort my Alpha brought me was to be short lived – by his specific design.