Chapter 6

"What it has to offer? What has it to offer once it has given? Stripped bare and dry, the hungry fissures shall multiply and burrow deeper to feed their expanding stomachs. Rest, rest, rest I bid you the season has yet to end. These wounds may close. But alas, you have made your bed-or it has been made for you. Yes, you alone are fit; bear, bear this curse, to give. Yes, to give, to give when bare and with plenty. Blessed is the giver..."

-Trric guardian of the Zesios.

After training, he met up with Qi Lin, who showed him less concerning short cuts to his classes.

"Thought you were going to have me passing inside the building walls."

"We are..." she responded, voice fading as it dawned on her. "That's dangerous."

Marx shrugged looking at the maps she'd given him. One was for the castle the other was for the school. She informed him that the maps changed each semester, walls shifting in different directions.

"Why, would anyone..." Her analytical gaze, held a dash of judgment as it swept through him. Voice trailing off, she added. "Never mind."

Marx's brow rose at her but he didn't bother to ask. Guilty, she tried to clarify anyway.

"It's just that wolves tend to be inclined towards such."

Marx looked at her.

"Not you, since you said..." She saw his lack of engagement, and fell silent.

Some of the classes they passed were occupied with undead students. Marx could hear their lecturer's lifeless voices, drawing on about, history, business, politics and the like. Where his day had ended, it had just begun for vampires. On the way he remembered his teammates, complaining about always starting training before their classes.

"Are you okay?"

Qi Lin's concerned voice drew him out of his thoughts.

"You've been limping, since you got here." She explained.

Marx came to a stop forcing his knees from buckling.

"And you smell like a vampire."

Marx wondered how she could have known. It wasn't like they'd met at the bus stop. They met at the castle entrance.

"Yeah, I train with them. How did you-"

"I was blessed." She smiled at him.

Marx grew more confused, the only thing he knew about blessed humans is that their strength could rival a supernatural. They were powerful too since they'd instigated the first supernatural war. She must have seen his confusion.

"That means I'm a hunter. I use magic to strengthen my body."

"Isn't that a witch?"

"No, that's what gets a lot of people confused," she chuckled and shook her head.

"What about them using it to change their faces or turn into something else?"

"Listen." She said, as they approached a bench. "We blessed humans use magic internally. Witches and wizards use it through their instruments."

"So, you channel magic using your bodies, while witches and wizards use their spell books?" A sigh of relief nearly left his lips when he sat on the cool bench. Qi Lin joined him.

"Yeahh, if they do the same they'd die."

Her puzzled look met the side of his face. "You didn't know this?"

Marx pursed his lips. "Mayo, usually picks up my slack."

"Mayo?" She whispered.

The word sounded strange on her lips. Like an exhale unveiling thoughts she'd hidden within. Marx wondered if she heard herself. She must have since the tips of her ears turned red.

"Um, I'd assume that's your friend that fainted".

Marx nodded.

"Why Mayo though? Not saying it isn't great or anything but..."

Marx sighed, his body actively dismissing the idea of standing up. His wolf didn't help.

"You can ask him in person."

Qi Lin looked at him, Marx added. "I'll tell him when he gets out from the hospital."

"Hospital? Is he okay?"

"Don't know." Marx shrugged, feeling his lower body growing numb. "That's what the email said, though."

"But still I never said-"

"You never had to." Marx stood up with a pained groan.

"Serves you right for overtraining and your assumptions." Qi Lin chastised.

He scoffed at her and limped to their last tour location. They spent a good two hours roaming around the school. Marx's wolf demanded rest, such that it had attempted to paralyze him earlier. At their last building she showed him his class and handed him books from the large bag she'd been carrying.

"What? You didn't think they were mine, did you?"

A sullen look was drawn over his face, Marx reached for them without complaint.

"I'll hold them for you until the bus stop," Qi Lin mumbled. "Honestly, I don't get you wolves always hurting yourselves."

"My master is a vampire."

"She's also Toya's master, never heard her complain. You know why?" She paused, awaiting an answer she wasn't going to receive and resolved to answer herself. "Because she knows her limits."

At the bus stop they boarded a full circuit and he could feel a strange sensation, an inkling that he was being watched. He did not pay it any mind when he decided to address Qi Lin.

"You're gonna take me to Wylerr?"

Qi Lin shoved his books at him. Ignoring his pained hiss, she settled into the seat next to him.

"Think you meant I'm going to Lart noon. Must be hard though."

"What?"

"Being a first year, juggling training with Alavanz and school work. But, I've done some of your modules, so you can ask me for help when you need it."

Marx made a mental note of that.

"How are the Nurthe treating you?"

"Don't meet a lot of them. Only one I know mostly keeps to himself." He glanced at her. "Why?"

"Careful around them."

"Everyone keeps saying that."

"Because we mean it," she said. "It's like they're their own race."

Marx released a scoff.

"You weren't here last year, when they had a strike and nearly burnt down a section of the school."

Marx raised his brow at her.

"Classes stopped and we had to have a summit about it. The representatives of the great clans and, the five grand covens were there, Cassian even your, prince the..."

"Daegon." He finished. "What's he like?"

"Yeah." Qi Lin tapped her chin in thought. "Big, scary, always quiet. Never really seen him up close. Only know his seconds-"

"Theta. When alpha as powerful as him has seconds. We no longer call them beta."

"Theta." She said as if the word tasted strange on her lips. "Well they have quite the reputation though."

"From what I've seen Arien, has quite the mouth and they're very close with Cranos." A small smile curled at the corner of her lips. "You know our first year, we thought that they were mates."

Marx's brows rose. A grinning Cranos flashed into his mind. What?! The lycan he'd met that afternoon was the Daegon's theta., and he had thrown biting remarks about his strength. The bus slowly came to a halt.

"What year are you in now?"

"Third. Hope Mayo gets better." She got up and headed to the door. "See you."

The bus's engine rumbled to life. Out the window a familiar brown haired red eyed silhouette, using their finger print to unlock the glasses doors. Fellow teammate and captain. Vanessa. The familiar musk of werewolves, wizards and witches coated the air. Larton housed vampires, humans, witches, wizards and werewolves at once?

He sunk back into his seat. Damn, Mayo is sick, he lived across from the Daegon's theta and he'd ask him about training. With last night's defeat, weakness was a luxury he couldn't afford.

********

Morning came, and he was sure he'd left his senses in bed. With sore muscles and exhaustion paired with being late and a cup of coffee for breakfast. He sighed, sat down and watched as the whole lesson flew by his head. He heard the professor speak through out the lesson but he didn't catch a single word. Class ended and amidst the throes of students rushing to the next lecture. Familiar scents drifted into his nose. He turned his head and caught sight of Davin waving him over.

He was with Unna and a third green haired guy holding an almost empty back pack. Eastern wolves were recognized by their signature green hair. Which was various shades of green, that changed each season. They were talking about a run. Marx greeted the group who acknowledged him with varied responses in different regional languages.

"What run?"

The others gave him a looks of disbelief, their gazes shifted to Davin in question. Davin scratched his head and released a nervous chuckle that echoed in the near empty lecture room.

"Uh, don't blame him he's new."

Marx tried to hold back his cringe. He didn't like that, and everyone stated it like it was his personality. Worse, he could already imagine Unna calling him new-

"Of course I don't blame new guy, You didn't tell him." A seated Unna glared at Davin. "The full moon's approaching, and we're going on a run. So, I was asking for ideas on what to wear."

The male eastern wolf stared at her, backpack on one side of his shoulder.

"What?" Unna shrugged at him.

"Nothing." The backpack wolf shrugged back. "I just don't understand why you need to look like anything." He looked at Marx for support and Marx responded with a small smile he was sure probably looked more like a grimace. "When we're going to spend most of our time in wolf form."

"Look, I can't just go there looking like..."She looked at Marx, hand on her chest. "I mean, I'll be representing my nation."

"I think we'd all agree, when I say that we'd rather be represented by someone else." The backpack wolf replied in a monotone. "As long as it's not too slutty."

To Marx's amusement, and Davin's lack of care Unna gave an exasperated gasp.

"I mean, you're not going to wear anything respectable anyway." The guy spoke as if stating the obvious. "The least that can get you, is sharing the night with one of the Daegon's subordinates."

"Look, I don't have time for this." Unna blushed, her lips formed into a pout. She glared up at Marx from her seat. "So, are you going to come?"

Miss an opportunity to see the future alpha king? Of course Marx wouldn't. It was said that the mere presence of the alpha king, gave all werewolves and lycans strength. A feeling his father had once tried to describe saying that it was grounding. It felt like a higher strength. One he need not challenge as an alpha himself, but rest under.

"I mean it, you on his bed or his mate is so unlikely. It boarders on impossible." The male eastern wolf laughed. "The least you could do is show up, like a good subject. Accept the blessing of good luck for the exams, have fun and leave." He glanced at a seated Unna. "See, no drama."

Marx's brows scrunched in distress.

"Don't worry too much, exams will start in about a month from now." Davin reassured.

This was his chance, maybe he too could feel that feeling. An opportunity to meet other up and coming alphas, looking to make a name for themselves. To prove themselves, before the alpha of all alphas. He felt a sudden blood rush. But the heir of the Lycan Empire had yet to receive his official title as king from the current alpha king. What if it won't feel the same way his father described it because of that?

He felt himself give a firm nod of agreement to Unna. It was not of his own accord. His wolf had woken up. Glad, the others didn't notice. He felt a mildly uncomfortable feeling bubbled in his chest. Since he'd first arrived he was having trouble controlling his wolf. How could he dominate other alphas if he couldn't handle his own wolf?

Next to him, Davin stood smitten by his phone screen. He must have felt Marx's curious gaze for which he nodded, confirming his attendance. He hurriedly returned to his phone as he pursed his lips in an effort to hold back a smile.

"You're stressing me out, honestly." The male wolf next to Unna spoke, while giving her a judgmental look. "At first it was funny, now it's not."

Davin scratched his head and bit his lip. "Guys I have somewhere to be, so I'll see you."

The wolf male with a backpack gave him a small head shake. Unna gasped and slammed her hand on the table. Marx gave her a raised brow as she pointed at Davin.

"Ever since you got mated, we have to live by your whims." She stood up and fixed the mini-est of mini skirts Marx had ever seen with some thick stripped wooly leggings and a cropped top. Afraid of being caught staring, he looked away just as she was in mid reach of Davin's phone. "Tell that guy of yours, you have class."

Davin dodged her hand and stood at the stairs.

Marx's voice sounded. "I'll join you, I'm also heading out."

"Join him where? You can't join him." Unna gave Marx a raised brow, her hands rested on the table. "Look Davin all I'm saying is. You weren't paying any attention in class and if you want to repeat this class again next year..."

Davin gave a small wince in response. Using his thumbs to point at the door behind him. He nodded at them, whilst giving them a thumbs up. And just as he turned. The door opened followed by a familiar scent drifted in. Damon, casually strolled in, he was clad in all black and the gruesome scar on his face lay uncovered.

Marx felt his heart do a small dip in guilt. Davin's back had straightened. Damon approached their row, took Davin by the waist and with no resistance led him out of the room.

"Whoever did that to his face must have been exacting some justice because..."

"The fuck?" Unna's hands rested on her hips. Her gaze shifted from the closed doors to them . "Just because he's fucking our friend? " Unna rolled her eyes at Marx. "I mean, what are we? Gnomes?"

A phone vibrated and the backpack wolf looked down at it, and addressed Unna. "Gotta make a delivery at Larton. Let's go."

After they exchanged goodbyes, Marx rushed to his catch up classes, where his tutor helped him better understand the work content. During lunch time he made sure that he visited the lunch hall. By the end of the day his last class had concluded. He headed to the bus stop and took an off campus full circuit bus, to the schools academic hospital. There was no practice this evening, he could rest easy without having to see Alavanz's face for a full day. But he had an early morning in return.

The bus stopped near the medical campus. Marx walked to the schools academic hospital and signed in at the reception. The receptionist gave him Mayo's room number and informed him that Mayo was very sensitive and in critical condition. She radioed Mayo's assigned nurse.

The nurse with bright red lip stick arrived. Introducing herself as Claire. She pulled out a large bag and handed it to Marx, from her tiny circular bag. Informing him that in order to visit Mayo he had to change. She guided him to a room where he came out wearing a coverall, gloves, a mask, and protective glasses.

They passed through a small hallway that sprayed disinfectant on them. A sleeping Mayo laid on the other side of the door. Somehow the beta seemed frail on the thin mattress. His cheeks were slightly hollow, skin ashen.

Upon Marx's approach the closed eyelids lined by long platinum blond lashes, gave a weak twitch. Marx took his cool limp hand into his own and rasped. "You better wake up, I can't keep cooking for myself."

"If his condition worsens we'll have to contact a family member. Does he have any relatives that live near by?"

"No, we don't. We both come from the Northern Lycan nation. And, before you call make me aware." Claire nodded in understanding. "We come from a small town and I don't want to trouble our parents."

"I'll try." She looked down at the clipboard attached to the side of Mayo's bed as she spoke. "Right now, the head of the health department is attending to him. Dr. Sol was crucial regarding the stabilization of Mayo's health."

Marx nodded. She looked at him and asked. "Has this ever happened before?"

Marx looked down at Mayo's sleeping form and shook his head. The last time he'd been like this was when they'd found him lost at the icy glaciers. Back then Mayo was a child. He'd been tall for his age, taller than Marx and thinner too, with sunken cheeks with wide hollow eyes. He remembered leaning behind the door as the seer described it to his father, "Like he's roamed the world, alpha. Seen its lot and all it had to offer. Quite possibly it's evils mostly and still sees them each day. Plaguing his rest and waking hours."

If he hadn't been found by then, he'd have become bones for the bears to pick at they said. Back then he was young, they thought him mute. Mayo was foreign so was their tongue. And so he suffered alone. Just like now.

He caught himself squeezing Mayo's slim fingers a bit too roughly. Marx let go, and found a seat at the end of the room. At times the beast within him could not be trusted not to make any foolish move. He questioned Claire.

"Will he be out of here, good and running by the end of next week?"

"End of next week? Oh, it's the full moon. Dr. Sol requested assistance from the school's head mistress. So, we're awaiting the mistress's return, by the end of this week." She turned toward him and added. "Depending on how his check up with the headmistress goes. He may be out in time for the run."

She glanced back at the slumbering Mayo. "If there are any major changes I'll inform you through your email," she headed to the door and closed it behind her. Her voice trailed after. "But for now, I'll leave you here."

Marx took out his books and did some homework while a sick Mayo slept across from him. He stayed until visiting hour's ended. He entered the elevator and met the ice lily vampire. She smiled and greeted him with a soft hey. He nodded in response.

She'd glanced at his leg with a concerned look. "You okay? You're limping. Is training that bad?"

Marx's brows rose, surprised that she'd noticed the limp he'd been diligently trying to hide. "No, visiting my sick beta."

Pleased by his response and smiled in...relief?

"Still, you better get some rest vampires heal faster than wolves. So, don't push yourself too hard or you'll" she made a cutting motion at her throat. She leaned close to him and whispered. "But, judging from experience it's not all that bad."

The elevator door dinged open and she left saying. "Hope your beta gets better."

The corner of his lips curled up involuntarily. Her pronunciation of beta was thick with a familiar accent that made it sound a lot like better. The doors closed as she giggled at her own joke. Marx shifted his feet and frowned the scent of ice lilies was gone.