Chapter 215: Wolfless Stars II
"The only person that should feel disgraced is our father for losing you to begin with, all because he didn’t take the warnings seriously," Damon interrupted angrily as he crossed his arms. "If he had fortified the pack adequately, the attack and kidnapping attempt would never have succeeded to begin with."
Before Blaise could sneak in a word, Damon continued.
"And what do you mean by being thankful that you didn’t have your wolf?" he barked. "If you had your wolf back then, you would have returned to me sooner!"
"Damon, we were both 11 years old. There was no way any of us would have a wolf so young," Blaise chided gently. "Me being small and powerless worked since they underestimated me. And everything worked out in the end. It was tough for a bit, but I also met good people."
Blaise’s face fell slightly; I didn’t need a direct link to his emotions to know he was thinking of Doctor Thomas.
Damon huffed. "You’ll be a lot more difficult to kill now."
"Of course, Brother," Blaise clapped Damon on the shoulder. "I’m not dying before you."
"That is grim," I said, my lips curdling. Both brothers turned to look at me, confused about my choice of words. I clarified, "Can we not talk about death and dying this close to a council meeting that has a hundred and one ways to go wrong?"
"Jinxes aren’t real," Damon said with a scoff.
"But if it makes you feel better," Blaise said, "we can always just knock on wood."
As he spoke, he curled his fingers and knocked his joints against the wooden cabinet. Two crisp knocks echoed through the room. Even though this was just superstition, I felt my chest lightening up nearly immediately.
"Better?" Blaise asked, a knowing smile hanging on his lips.
"I think you can tell for yourself," I said with a grin.
Watching this interaction between me and Blaise, Damon’s lips merely curdled into a grimace.
"I’m heading to the infirmary," Damon declared, huffing as he turned to leave. He was halfway out of the door when he suddenly turned back, shooting a pointed glare at Blaise. "If there’s a council meeting coming up, then make sure Hornstead sends the supplies within the next few days before we leave. I don’t want any other unwanted guests staying over, especially during the lunar eclipse."
"Relax," Blaise said. "As we were speaking, Elijah had already sent word to rush them. Kaine’s men are also deployed along the route between Fangborne and Hornstead― we will escort them to the territory once they’re close."
"Not good enough," Damon hissed. "I want all men back in Fangborne grounds at least a day before the eclipse happens. No wolf is to be outside the borders other than the guards posted."
"Yes, Alpha," Blaise said. Though, I didn’t miss the way he used his brother’s title as though he was poking fun at his title rather than as a show of respect.
Damon didn’t miss it too, and his eyes narrowed as he squinted at Blaise but otherwise kept his silence. He exhaled and shook his head, and as quickly and suddenly as he came, Damon disappeared.
"Now that Damon is gone..." Blaise turned to face me, the smile on his face not once dissipating even with the severity of his tone, "what is it that you’re hiding from me, my dear mate?"
My eyes opened with alarm, my eyebrows betraying my thoughts by shooting up to my hairline. I took a step back, willing myself to calm my emotions and resist the urge to look at the urn and locket. The manor, the urn, the locket, the prophecy― all those things were things I had shared with few to none.
"You’ll have to be a little more specific than that," I said, my tongue darting out to wet my bottom lip.
"That implies that you’re hiding more than one thing," Blaise pointed out.
He closed the distance between us, his hands reaching up to gently cup my face. I couldn’t help but lean into his warm touch. His palms were calloused against my skin and I could feel the rough bumps and ridges against my cheeks. Yet, they didn’t scratch me and if anything, felt soothing.
"Harper..."
"Did I ever tell you how much I love the way you utter my name?" I asked, fluttering my eyelashes up at him.
Perhaps my hearing was getting better, perhaps Blaise was standing too close, or perhaps it was through the bond. Either way, I could hear Blaise’s heart skip a beat.
"You’re changing the subject," he muttered, his face moving so close that I could feel his breath fan over my lips.
It felt torturous to be so close to him but unable to touch. Blaise made sure to hold me at a distance, careful not to let us get too close for fear of being distracted from the topic.
However, being distracted was how I wanted him to be.
"Not quite," I denied. Without allowing him a chance to press further, I tossed him a new question. "Who will have to be present at the Forest of Selene?" I asked.
Blaise chuckled. Dropping the topic, he patiently replied to my question instead. Unfortunately, he also pulled back. I could no longer feel the warmth of his lips near mine.
"Usually, all the leaders will be present," Blaise said. "The participating packs’ alpha, luna, beta, sometimes even their charlie and delta might have to join."
"Does that mean that Elijah and Kaine will have to go as well?" I asked.
A knot grew in my chest. Wouldn’t that just leave not just Fangborne, but all the participating werewolf packs defenseless against possible vampire or hunter attacks? It was unlikely that the other werewolf packs would strike, but that didn’t mean that the other creatures that inhabited the forest and towns nearby wouldn’t.
"Elijah and Kaine will be situated here during the event," Blaise replied. He must’ve sensed my worry. "There’s no need to fret. Damon wouldn’t leave us in the open like that, as you can clearly see. However..."
As soon as the weight was lifted off my chest, Blaise threw another rock right at me with that one word.
"However?" I prompted him to continue.
"However," he said, "you might have to go."
"Me?" I echoed. "But... why? I am not a high-ranking member of Fangborne at all! I barely even count as a normal member at that."
"Because Damon will not risk leaving you here in Fangborne unguarded. It is much safer by our side," Blaise said. "And I, too, will not want it."
"I am fully capable of taking care of myself within the walls of House Sirius," I said with a snort.
"It’s not that," Blaise said, suddenly hesitant. "It’s just that during the eclipse, we will lose the connection to our wolves."
"Yes," I said. "You’ve mentioned."
Blaise nodded. "But that also means that during the duration of the eclipse, the bond will be nulled."
My eyes widened and my throat clogged up― all of a sudden, it felt difficult to breathe.
"If anything happens to you," Blaise said, his expression grim, "we will not be able to feel it until it’s too late."
