Chapter 190

Chapter 190
Jackson’s lips pursed.

“It must be the magics he used. To set off the fire. He was with us when it started. Only magic could do that. There must have been a trail or a scent on it that let them know it was Dorien who did it,” Jackson replied as he analyzed the situation.

“Yes…that or their own magic. Others have left and come into our lands, none were touched or harmed, as far as we know. Only Dorien was taken,” Reyland chipped in absently.

Reyland fell silent as the two continued to walk.

“He left at night. He must have used a back road, that must have drawn their attention,” Reyland muttered.

“He left at night?” Jackson exclaimed quietly.

Reyland glanced at his friend.

“Yes,” he said quietly. He recalled how Dorien had bid him farewell.

He stopped walking.

“The morning I woke, very early. It was still dark, so, maybe two or three a.m.,” Reyland stated hesitantly.

“But…you woke at dawn…I was there…” Jackson replied, gazing up at his ward, his brows rising.

He knew Reyland had new powers. He, and others strong enough, could sense it. It felt like standing right beside a humming machine.

Reyland himself could probably not sense it. If he could, he would have done something to control it – unless it was not something that could be controlled.

But, he was Lycan, no one alive, except very old shifters and the elders, would know how Lycans were or behaved or their characteristics.

Jackson pulled his mind to the present. Focusing on the young wolf before him – the young Lycan.

Reyland was staring down at him.

The prince’s jaw tightened.

“I have put you in too much danger, Gamma Jackson,” he said formally, his voice low.

“And I am still here, young one. Speak,” Jackson replied swiftly, holding Reyland’s steady gaze.

Reyland paused briefly. His lips parted. He inhaled quietly.

“I saw him. I left my body. I saw him here,” he gestured toward the house that had just come into view.

“He was in my bedroom. Just staring. He…spoke to me. He sensed me or he saw me, I’m not certain which, but…” he stopped walking and stopped speaking.

Jackson was pale. There was a thin film of sweat on his brow.

The Gamma swallowed hard.

“Continue,” he rasped, “please, my prince.”

Reyland faced Jackson.

“When I leave here…will you come with me?” Reyland whispered.

Jackson blinked.

“Leave Lightmoon? When? Why? Yes! Yes, if you need me to serve you,” the pack Gamma replied, his words tumbling out.

“I don’t need your service. I need your friendship,” Reyland said with a small smile.

Jackson held his ward’s gaze.

“Why will you leave?” he whispered.

“Because my grandfather will demand it. I just want to be certain that when that time comes, you will come with me…or…” Reyland’s voice drifted off as he stared at his only friend.

“I will follow you, my prince,” Jackson replied formally.

Reyland nodded.

He gazed back at the two-story house his father had built for him.

His eyes trembled. He sighed.

“He was in my bedroom, talking to me, before I showed up. I don’t know what he was saying before I came in, but,” he continued as if the interlude had not occurred, “he was sad. Very sad. I was still angry, about…everything.”

“I could have stopped him. I could have raised an alarm. I could have told Father earlier that he had left the pack.”

“But…” Reyland’s low voice faded out again.

“You wanted him gone,” Jackson finished quietly.

“Yes,” Reyland rasped.

“He harmed you. He harmed Marian. Made her have to…do so much, go through so much hurt and pain, for me, disappointed our father –” Reyland continued in the same broken tone.

“And hurt you,” Jackson added calmly.

“No,” Reyland croaked. “For that, I have no spite. If anything, I'm irritated that he failed. He failed at something that had been so simple to do. So damn simple! And he couldn’t get it done right!” the prince snapped, his voice cracking.

Jackson placed a warm hand on Reyland’s back, stepping close to his side.

Reyland bowed his head, his breathing raspy, a hand over his eyes.

“He is being punished by the goddess herself,” Jackson rumbled, “let us get him back, and finish the punishment.”

Reyland’s shoulders shook as he held back the sobs that he refused to release.

Not for Dorien.

Not for that foolish pup.

“Reyland,” Jackson murmured.

The Lycan prince fell on his friend’s shoulders, weeping silently for his foolish, prideful, stubborn brother.

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Marian, sitting with her legs folded, Misha pouring energy into her, eyes closed, saw and heard every word between Gamma Jackson and Reyland.

Tears pricked her eyes, but she did not let them fall.

She focused on distributing the energy from Misha throughout her body.

Misha was strong. A powerful wolf. He would never have survived what he was doing for her, even with her support, otherwise.

It was painful for him. She knew it, even though he never complained.

He was essentially breaking himself by sharing his very essence with her. Which was why his wolf was present at all times, healing his body as his very cells shattered.

Then she would heal him with her body, and they would continue the cycle, stopping only to sleep, or more accurately, stopping only when Misha would pass out.

The first day, they had not eaten.

But today, they had had breakfast, just before she had sensed the gathering at the Alpha Mansion, and had gone there with her living battery at her side.

And some meat had been brought for Misha. Byron had instructed her to take only fluids and fruits, but Misha had been directed to eat as much meat as he could.

And Misha, could.

He had just finished a hefty helping and returned to filling her with his strength, when she had listened to and watched the meeting at the pack hall, and then stayed with Jackson till this very moment.

She pressed her lips together. Focusing on getting healed. Fast.

I need to fix myself.

I need to be ready.

Misha…needs to leave…before things get out of hand.

She told herself.

But something was wrong.

She was stronger, Dinka was fully healed now and was already doing her own part to heal Marian, but there was a leak, a hole, that was not getting filled.

Right on her breast, where her heart was.

She had searched her whole body, and that was the source of the problem.

No matter how much she tried to create a seal or a protection around her heart, no matter how hard she tried, it would crack or puncture like a leaky balloon.

Thanks to her new power, she was simply refilling what she was losing, but it was like running a car with a leaky tyre, or an engine with a persistent oil leak or leaking radiator – it would still run, but not at a hundred percent.