Page 8 of Bound to the Wolf
“And they disappeared after that?” Elise asked. Despite her attempt to stay detached, she looked interested now.
“I didn’t see them again. Are you suggesting they might have teleported?” To Reece, it sounded ridiculous, but there were witches out there with powers beyond imagination. Teleportation would be child's play to them.
Elise scrunched up her face and then shook her head. “No, probably not.” She thought for several moments. “Austin LaSallebought magic on the black market, so if this was some other pack trying to gain information about you guys or something, there’s no reason they couldn’t have done the same thing. But you would want to talk to somebody who has aggressive magic or knows how to make protective charms. Delainey would be better at that than I am. I can ask her if you want. She could come out and take a look.”
“We don’t need Delainey,” Reece snapped.
Nico gave him a questioning look, and Reece ignored it. They didn’t need another meddling witch causing trouble.
Especially considering how much upheaval Elise had caused, and her powers were all based in healing and helping. She was the forgiving sort. He didn’t want to think about what would happen if they called a witch who knew how to fight back and liked to do it.
His wolf bristled under his skin at his denial, but his wolf didn’t get a say because his wolf couldn’t speak English. Reece pushed whatever instincts were begging him to find out more about Delainey’s magic aside.
He looked at Nico. “This is pack business,” he said.
Elise heaved a sigh and stood. She gave Nico a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll let you two boys talk,” she said. “I wouldn’t want to interfere.”
“You don’t have to go,” Nico reached out and trailed his hand down her arm, as if he could keep her from leaving for just another second.
Elise glanced at Reece and then back at her boyfriend. “Yeah, I think I do.”
Reece didn’t contradict her. And Nico didn’t insist she stay.
“What did Cole say about these wolves?” Nico asked once Elise was gone.
“More patrols,” said Reece. “We’ve got to be on our guard.”
“You think things are heating up?” Nico asked.
Reece shrugged. “Looks like that’s a possibility.”
Nico stared out at the forest, but his expression was inscrutable.
Words tumbled out of Reece’s mouth without his permission. “So how’s it going with you and the witch?” He wasn’t going to pull the question back now that it was out there.
Nico’s lips pulled into a grin that made something ache deep in Reece. He couldn’t remember the last time something had made him smile like Nico was smiling.
“It’s going good,” Nico said. “Really good, actually.”
The way he said it was simple, like it wasn’t complicated, like the entire world wasn’t against them. And a part of Reece kind of hated him for that.
“I’m moving out of the pack house,” Nico said.
The floor dropped out from under Reece’s chair. He set his empty coffee mug down with more force than was necessary. “What? Where? When?”
Nico finally shifted from the kitchen table chair to the bucket seat opposite Reece so neither of them was twisted awkwardly to talk. “I’m moving into one of the cottages on the territory at the end of the week. It’ll be nice to have a little bit more privacy, you know? Things are better here with Elise than they were when we first started going out, but it’s still awkward, and I think she would be more comfortable staying over if it was the two of us, you know?”
His friend was setting up a little wolf-witch love nest on pack land.
Great.
“She’s not moving in with you.” It wasn’t a question. Cole had made it clear that while Elise was allowed to stay temporarily, she wasn’t moving in. The same rule had been set for Nico. But it had been months now, and rules had a way of changing.
Nico shrugged. “No, and she doesn’t want to. She’s got a job in the city and her EMT training, but… we need a place that’s for us, you get that, right?”
Grudgingly, Reece could accept that. If he had a partner—and he wasn’t thinking about anyone in particular—he might want a little privacy as well. It could be good to live in a pack that was as family-like as the Southern Basin, with all the care and concern that came with it, but eyes had a way of being a bit prying.
“We’re holding an unpacking/housewarming party next week,” Nico said. “All the betas and Cole are invited, and Elise wants the coven to come. Kind of a get-to-know-you thing since this is…” He trailed off.
