Magicorum Box Set (Books 1-5)

8. Chapter Eight

8

Chapter Eight

Knox

I pull up to the curb before the Barrow Arms, a five-story brownstone in the Village. Nice. “This is Elle’s place, yeah?”

Bryar Rose shifts in her seat. “This is it.”

Her scent turns bitter, which means that Bryar Rose is unsure how to act around me. Not that I blame her. I’ve been a d**k to her ever since I met her. Sure, it’s because I don’t want her to get hurt by my semi-insane wolf, but she doesn’t know that.

“You good getting inside? Want me to walk you up?” Just because my wolf is crazy doesn’t mean I’m not feeling protective myself.

Bryar Rose grips the door handle. “No, I’ll be fine.” She starts to pull down the handle, but I don’t want her to leave.

On instinct, I reach over and grab her wrist. “Wait.”

Touching her skin is nothing less than electric. It’s a warm jolt that I feel down to my soul. The warden marks on my back start to pulse with power. Meanwhile my inner wolf howls with glee.

“Mate! Mate!”

I tell him to shut up while I keep staring into Bryar Rose’s blue eyes. Her voice comes out all silky again. “What is it, Knox?”

What is it, anyway? It’s a good question. I guess I’m still feeling protective. There are too many questions out there when it comes to Bryar. “What are you going to do about your therapy group?” I force myself to drop her hand.

“Oh.” Her eyes cloud over. “I hadn’t thought about that.”

“Alec has contacts. We’ll find some way to assign you to a new group that has nothing to do with the Denarii. Maybe he can get you out of it altogether.”

“Are you sure?”

“This is the kind of thing Alec specializes in.” She gives me a small grin, and I want to see more of that. In fact, I want her smiling all the time and only at things that I say and do. It’s crazy. “And what about your aunties? You talked to them when we were in Alec’s office. Are they going to cause trouble about what happened tonight?”

“They won’t suspect a thing. They thought I was going to some party and then staying over at Elle’s. They won’t expect me back home until Saturday at midnight for my birthday party.”

“You’re having a birthday party at midnight?” I frown. “I thought you said your birthday was Friday.”

“I suppose it would make sense for the party to be at midnight on Thursday or Friday night.” She shrugs. “I don’t know why my aunties insist on Saturday. I’d say they’re up to something, but the three of them are always scheming. You know…fairies.”

“Right.” The fae are nuts. Case in point: they’re the only group stupid enough to go out in public in their Magicorum forms. Humans love seeing anyone with magic. If Alec ever cast a spell in public, he’d get mobbed for photos and autographs. I’ve seen weres in their wolf forms get asked to pose for pictures with human babies.

Bryar shakes her head. “This is too good to be true. Alec and his internship, the therapy group, everything… It doesn’t seem real. Alec can’t really do all of this.”

“Oh, he can. Alec’s parents are super-wealthy, and he’s their only child. That family will do anything for their heir.”

“That doesn’t explain all the papyri. His parents have to know that he’s collecting that stuff.”

I shrug. “They do.”

Bryar stares at me for a moment. “Oh. I get it.”

“Get what?”

“Alec. He’s a warden, right?”

My mouth falls open. This girl is sharp. “I can’t talk about that.”

“You don’t need to spill his secrets. I hadn’t heard that any wardens officially existed, but it makes sense. They can’t have families and kids. Alec’s parents probably want him to have the papyri so he can find and activate the fountain.”

Hell yeah, that’s what they want.

My breathing gets tight. Damn, I’d forgotten she knew about the fountain and the wardens. Why wouldn’t she put it together? Bryar read and translated the damned Book of Magic. I sigh. There’s no point lying now. “Yeah, Alec is a warden. That’s why he’ll help you.”

She slumps back in her seat. “Wow.”

“Don’t say anything to Elle, okay? It’s Alec’s story to tell.”

“I won’t.” She shakes her head. “Poor Elle. I think she’s falling for him a little.”

My mouth thins to an angry line. “Don’t pity him. Not everyone has to have a family. He’s young and having a good time.” Bryar stares at me for a long minute, her eyes getting larger. My heart starts beating at double speed. “What?”

She leans in closer. “You’re a warden, too. Aren’t you? That’s why your wolf is so huge.”

“That is none of your business.” The words come out far sharper than I intended.

“I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to pry. I mean, you’re right. You and Alec are young and want to have fun. I’m sure it’s no big deal that you can’t take a mate.”

My inner wolf goes berserk inside me. “Bryar Rose mate. Bryar Rose maaaaaate!”

I find myself snarling words at both him and Bryar. “What can you possibly understand about mates and werewolves? My kind won’t even consider hooking up with something that’s human.”

All the blood seems to drain from Bryar’s face. “Forget I said anything.”

“No, that’s not what I meant—”

Before I can come up with a decent excuse, she bolts from the car. I feel like a first-class ass. My wolf growls inside my soul.

“Not be mean to Bryar Rose.”

“I have to. She’s getting too close. This is for the best.”

I put the Mustang into drive and speed away. Absolutely, this is for the best. Maybe if I keep saying that over and over, I might just convince myself that it’s true.