Page 65 of Starting a New Life

“It’s okay,” I mumbled, revelling in the way my body didn’t hurt from the hard forest floor digging into my hips. “I owe Levi, like, a lot. A lesson in magic is the least I can do.”

Gray snorted. “Don’t let him hear that. He’ll milk it and take up all your time so you can teach him magic. I probably won’t see you for weeks.”

We both knew that wasn’t true. If last night showed anything, it was that being apart from him for a prolonged amount of time was unbearable.

“Hey, do you want to tag along?” I asked, rubbing the centre of my chest. The thought of being apart didn’t sit well with me. But Gray was the Alpha. He had responsibilities. Fuck. I really wanted him with me. “Learning about how the barrier works might be good for you too.”

Gray laughed, his face brightening. “Sure. I’d be happy to.”

Chapter 14

Gray

Rhett, Levi, Nix, and I were standing at the edge of our pack lands, just a couple of feet away from the barrier. It was brimming with power, more alive than I’d ever seen it, the static tangible even to me.

“It’s like a warning mechanism,” Nix said, gesturing at where the barrier was. “The energy lets other paranormal beings know that you’re a strong pack and not to be messed with. Of course, there’s the option of containing that energy, of hiding it. That’s up to you. When I got here, I worked with what I found and organically restored what’d once been there.”

Looking at him now, the way he explained things with a firm voice, a smile on his lips as the wind kept blowing his silvery hair right into his face, was such a stark contrast to the pitiful bundle down in the cells stinking up the place with his fear. Down there, I’d only seen misery.

Out here, I saw potential.

Our mage, my wolf said, puffing out his chest. Strong.

He was strong. One of the strongest. And he’d come to me. Twice.

I’d been fighting myself the whole night, physically battling against the urge to go upstairs and check on him. I tried distracting myself by waiting until I could call my parents without waking them up. And then he’d been at my door, all hesitant and unsure but clearly longing for me just the way I longed for him.

“Everything has magic. It’s its essence, its life force, if you will,” he explained, blue eyes wide open, sparkling with joy. “Plants, people, animals, doesn’t matter. The spark is there. It’s not usable magic as mages have it, not something you can access. But it’s there. Mages can feel it. And mages can connect it. Ultimately, that’s what’s keeping the barrier alive.”

He gave Rhett a pointed look. “You said you’re connected to the barrier, but you’re not. Not individually. The pack is, and as part of the pack, you are. And since you’ve studied the barrier, you have a better understanding of it than most in your pack. But it’s not a direct connection.”

“So, what I’ve been doing for years has been for naught?” Rhett asked, arms crossed in front of his chest, posture rigid. My heart hurt for my friend. Rhett had always taken his responsibilities seriously. Finding out he’d spent years doing something that had no effect at all must be crushing.

“No, not at all,” Nix said quickly, traces of fear mingling with his natural scent as he took a step back, away from Rhett and closer to me. As if he was trusting me to protect him. “You nurtured the pack’s connection with the barrier, which is important. Otherwise, the barrier’s decline would’ve been much faster. No one in this pack is individually connected to the barrier. And while the older trees still are, plenty of newer ones aren’t. Those old connections are what’s keeping the barrier strong. You’ve kept a strong pack connection going. It might not have been what you thought you were doing, but if you were the only one doing it, you’re solely responsible for the strong pack connection.”

Rhett let out a breath, shoulders dropping. Levi smiled at Nix, his eyes shining with gratitude.

“So, what you’re saying is that you need to connect us as individuals with the barrier. And the pack lands.”

Nix nodded, biting his bottom lip as he averted his eyes. “I started connecting the pack lands, but uh… it was starting to take a toll on me. I-I ran out of food, and the weather got progressively worse, which made staying out here harder. In the end, I needed to stop.”

My wolf surged forward, and I found myself pulling Nix in for a hug before I came to my senses. He flinched, stiffening in my arms, his breath hitching. The stench of his fear agitated my wolf, but I pushed his whining down, focusing on my mate.

I was about to let him go and apologize when he slowly started relaxing and melted against me.

“Sorry,” I whispered, leaning in to discreetly sniff the top of his head.

He chuckled.

“It’s okay. I think.”

Not the glowing review I was hoping for, but a start.

“Where have you been staying, anyway?” Levi asked, trying to get Nix’s attention. “I’ve been wondering for a while.”

“Uhm…” Nix tensed in my arms. I growled and hugged him tighter. He had nothing to be embarrassed about. “I have a tent in the woods. I wove a barrier into the fabric, so it’s hidden from view… think of it like an invisibility cloak, but with a tent. I can… I can show you when we’re done here. I’d like to get my stuff. If that’s okay?”

“Sure.”