Chapter 8

“You're beautiful. In my time you kept such things. Sadly, today such is frowned upon. You remind me of then… A time I could only hope to have trodden this crust. An era I shall live through you. That is why, you are beautiful.”

Sascha, Sorcerer of the Mystic Coven.

The chancellor wasn’t one for unnecessary formalities she’d ask him personal questions and dare to be offended when he was hesitant to answer. After she had thrown them out, hours passed before she allowed their return. Marx spent the day at the hospital, and had the rest of his classes online. Sol would randomly come to check on Mayo’s condition, though he suspected it was more so to spy on the chancellor.

Sol’s gaze would carefully follow each one of her movements, with an immediate turn of his head before she caught him mid act. He’d hover over Mayo’s bed as he gave small nods of approval while suggesting they begin proper treatment of Mayo on Sunday. Marx informed them about his training session with Alavanz the following Saturday morning. The chancellor dismissed his concerns, stating she’d handle it.

Marx welcomed the Saturday morning with a long session of stretching that left his sore sighing in relief. He was pleased by the idea of not seeing Alavanz that morning, he could almost picture her devastated expression. The rest of his day was spent studying next to a sleeping Mayo and whoever came to treat him. Sunday arrived as unwelcomed as the piercing pain that came from his back, neck and shoulder, due to his awkward sleeping position and constant hunched form.

“If you keep faking sleep. I’m going to take that pillow, put it on your face and not let go.”

Marx groggily yawned the threat. Eyelids caged in long curly platinum blonde lashes slowly twitched open. From afar, people never could tell whether or not Mayo’s eyes were open. His pallid face had regained some of its deep cocoa shade. Another yawn rolled off his tongue, accompanied by a pop at his back. Blood rushed up his cheeks, he didn’t like the thought of being caught staring.

Mayo’s judgement was palpable from across the room. Marx’s words caught in his throat. All the reasons why he’d stopped sharing a room with the scowling figure across from him flooded his mind. He was just so…nevermind. It was even more unnerving to know that he wasn’t alone in that regard.

No matter how sick or disturbing his beta looked, the effect was still prevalent. He’d caught Claire giving Mayo lingering glances and pretended not to notice. Sol had been the same. When handling Mayo he was very hesitant, careful as if he didn’t wish to leave an unsightly mark and ruin him.

“Can you sit up?” Marx repeated three times before a Mayo made a weak attempt to shake his head. Only to release a small hiss of pain.

Marx rushed to his side. The familiar high pitch of a little girl resounded from behind him. “Stop.”

Marx turned his head to look at the chancellor, as she stated. “Pack your bag, your visit is over.” The next instant she was at Mayo’s bedside and continued in a lazy tone. “The sleeping beauty has regained consciousness.”

Claire and Dean Sol came through the door then.

The chancellor kept her gaze on Mayo. Whose lips had tightened in confusion. Marx imagined him silently questioning who was this loud child.

“Sol, give it to him.”

On the Chancellor’s order Sol handed him a wrist band made of goat skin. “This will help with subduing your wolf, during the separation.”

Marx put it on. A strange silence settled into his mind like a film and he was aware he was alone. It was strange, he’d never spoken to his wolf and it rarely made its presence felt. Sometimes he forgot it was there. Is this what being alone felt like? Sol’s voice drew him out of his thoughts.

“Do not take it off,” Sol went on. “It’ll fall off by itself. If it falls off before your beta has returned. Come to me or Claire, immediately.”

The chancellor snickered, her small hand gently brushed Mayo’s bangs from his face. “You are one beautiful boy.”

“Your skin is so dark and… rich.” Her fingertips hovered on Mayo’s face. She glanced at Marx, and added. “Quite different from your pale alpha over there. If he doesn’t get any longer, we might as well stop his heart and call him an extra tall vampire. When I look at you, so fragile. I want to nurse you back to health.”

A small frown settled on Mayo’s face and she responded with a gentle smile. Her voice so soft and careful that it seemed like she feared any higher pitch would break him. “That’s strange especially for me. Usually, I leave people for dead, it’s easier to feed the roaches.”

She turned toward them. “Claire is the formation ready?”

“Yes, Chancellor.”

“Brace yourself, doll.” The chancellor’s small thumb gently brushed Mayo’s slightly hallow cheek.

Marx took a step toward them. “Wait, won’t magic hurt—"

“You’re still here?” The chancellor sighed. “It’s only altered magic that’s lethal.”

“Umm?”

“Altered magic is pure magic that has been used by other supernatural. It can be wolves, humans, witches, etcetera using it for healing, defense, offense and more.” At Marx’s confused gaze she scoffed, and went on. “I placed a natural purifier rune around his bed.”

Marx nodded.

“They filter out any altered magic that approaches him. The sooner we get one on his skin without using magic the sooner he’ll come back to you.”

“How are you going to do that without—"

“You ask too many questions.” The chancellor rolled her eyes at him, and shrugged her shoulders. “We’ll figure it out though.” Her gaze went to Sol who looked both stressed and tongue-tied at once. A satisfied smirk settled on her face at the sight. “Just know it won’t be a tattoo, don’t wanna get sued.”

The chancellor’s voice faded as she disappeared with his beta right before his sight. Sol bid him goodbye, though not without a heavy sigh as he looked at the empty space before him. Claire rushed him out, her eyes practically glued to the floor. He wondered why, but chose not to focus too deeply on it. Marx lightly touched his wrist band while he waited at the bus stop.

At Wylerr he took a long bath and ordered meal to eat before he called his mother. She answered on the first ring. The Luna demanded they do a video call and had him hold the phone up while she scolded him about his behavior. Marx remained silent, head slightly bowed as she reprimanded him.

His father had suddenly appeared, after sensing his mate’s exasperation. Gently brushed his mother’s cheek with his thumb, and pulled her head to his chest. Marx averted his gaze. The alpha looked dotingly at his pink faced mate, and he much preferred it if the lycan kept his attention elsewhere.

“Marxis Wolfgang Tundra.”

Marx’s head snapped up so quickly he was sure his neighbors had heard it through the soundproof walls. Her voice could still do that to him while he was oceans away from home. The alpha beside her released a low growl—one he knew made the walls tremble—and sneered at the phone screen. The Luna pushed his face away from her ear, just as he made a second attempt at licking it. Marx’s feet shifted uncomfortably as he avoided the alpha’s look of disapproval.

“You step foot into the city and forget about pack?” She shared a glassy eyed concerned look with his unconcerned father. The sob that was held at the back of her throat nearly burst out as she addressed her mate. “We never should have let that wizard take him away from us.”

The alpha’s brows shot up in a slight panic. He brought his upset mate to his chest once more, as his deep whisper reassured her that he was fine. Not their son, not Marx, not the future Wolfgang destined to inherit the title of alpha after him, just he.

It was normal for their wolves. Elders said that his grandfather had been the same with his father. His grandfather had told him it wasn’t something he’d done intentionally. But, the wolf.

“It’s not though.” She pinched her mates arm. “I told you that we shouldn’t have sent them to a different country. Now, Mayo’s sick.”

The alpha’s nostrils flared at Mayo’s name. Annoyed one of his favorite people were sick because of him.

“They said that he’s just allergic to magic—”

“What?!” His mother’s face sank in horror. “Since when does a—"

“It’s not that bad, the chancellor’s dealing with it.” He hurriedly interrupted her before she could think of demanding their return.

Marx told her about Mayo’s condition and what he knew of the chancellor’s intentions to heal him. He wasn’t surprised when it turned into the Luna using her now non-existent tears to make him promise that he wouldn’t ignore her calls with a clarification that he hadn’t been ignoring her, he was just busy. He even shared his schedule with her, the details about his week and all the culture shocks he’d experienced.

She nearly fainted in shock when she heard he was placed in a team full of vampires and he was the only wolf. Marx asked about his siblings and she told him that it was a bit difficult for them to adjust but they were trying. Although he highly doubted that, he accepted it. Marx had two older brothers, the eldest was an omega, the second an alpha and a younger sister who presented as an alpha. Yet the alpha never seemed to be affected by them.

Throughout their conversation his father’s glare at him sharpened. The day he’d presented as an alpha. It had been the same day he’d found he was his father’s heir. As a child he’d never understood the lycan’s dismissive attitude until he overhead the pack elders say that alphas like them tended to be more distant or avoidant toward the child who’d succeed them.

Marx pretended not to see his father’s tight jaw and the heated glare locked on him as he chatted with his mother for the next hour. Daring to ask the elder alpha to add on to their conversation. It was as the elders had said, he was only kept because hurting him would hurt his mother. Living with it each day, was fine, but the revelation never ceased to amaze him.

The alpha would respond with silent hums and strained smiles, and Marx would delightfully smirk back. Fearlessly confident, he didn’t care. The lycan wasn’t going to reach him unless he caught a plane. The call ended when his father suddenly cut it while he was mid laugh with his mother. Jealous, he smirked and returned back to studying. That evening he got a knock on his door, only to find a surprised Davin.

“Thought you weren’t here, texted you last night.”

Davin brushed past him and entered his unit, shamelessly headed to his fridge and took out ingredients to make a sandwich.

“Yeah, that.” Marx crossed his arms and leaned on the kitchen entry way’s wall. “We don’t know each other like that.”

“We do.” An unbothered Davin responded, pulled out a glass and poured juice for himself. “Go get dressed there’s a seething hot vampire lady waiting for you at the reception.”

Marx raised a brow at him.

“Name’s Alavanz.” Davin chuckled. “Ring a bell?”

Marx flinched and rushed back to his room.

“She said wear something loose!” Davin yelled after him, followed by a cough and frantic thumping at his chest.

Marx snickered as he silently chastised him for speaking with a full mouth. He returned and Davin handed him three large sandwiches that he devoured in five bites. Why couldn’t cooking come this easily for him? he thought gulping down his juice. He swiped his key card to lock his door when Davin enquired.

“You an alpha heir?”

Marx nodded as he wondered where the question stemmed from.

They entered the lift and greeted the werewolf inside.

Davin clarified, “Just asking because Cranos came by asking for your number. Said he’s been searching for you, the past two days.”

“Why?” Marx asked from the other side of the elevator.

“Don’t know.” Davin shrugged. “Probably about the first years meeting before the run.”

The lift doors opened at the ground floor and they got off.

“Check your phone for a text, a call from unknown number, or something. See ya.”

Davin headed to the basketball court next to their residence to watch a game. Marx turned to the door nearly missing a step when he saw Alavanz standing in the middle of the reception hall like it was hers.

“How did you—"

“My sources,” She answered leading Marx outside to her car. “Didn’t think I’d let you go just because that witch had her grubby little fingers around your neck?”

Now it clicked why Claire’s eyes were practically glued to the ground when she’d led him out of the hospital. Alavanz unlocked the door of her sleek pink sports car for him. Was this even allowed? Alavanz fixed her lip gloss, and adjusted her rear view mirror, as she revved up her engine.

“Today, I will have it carved through that thick skull of yours that, that little demon won’t stop me from having you.”

The engines roar drew the annoyed scowls of the wolves around them, and a cackle belted out of her in response. Alavanz smirked at an embarrassed Marx beside her. She released a small squeal, as the car pulled away from the parking lot.

“When your man loves you,” she delightfully sang out loud.

Marx sunk back into his seat knees propped up uncomfortably. This car was too small. A series of buzzing came from his pocket and he saw a text from an unknown number. Check your side mirror. A large figure chased after the car.

“There’s someone after us.”

‘”Hmm?”

They gasped as they were both lurched forward by the momentum. The car stopped moving while it’s tires were still turning. It was held up at a forty-five degree angle. Marx’s legs and knees screamed at their painfully awkward position.

“Fuck, of course this would happen in wolf territory.” Alavanz groaned, and killed the engine.

The car returned to the ground. Heavy footsteps approached the passenger door. A wide grinned Cranos appeared and commented as he crouched next to the passenger door.

“This car’s too short.”

Alavanz glared at Cranos, and his smirk widened in return. An uncomfortable feeling settled at the pit of Marx’s stomach.

“I’ve been looking around for you, Northerner.”

“I was at the hospital with my beta.” He answered truthfully, a part of him hesitated at the idea of saying he was busy.

“For two days…?”

“Yeah.” Marx nodded. “I didn’t check my phone.”

“I’ll trust your word. We have a meeting later tonight make sure you’re back by then.”

“I will.”

Marx knew Cranos was addressing him, yet it felt like the alpha wasn’t talking to him. The alpha lifted his chin at Alavanz, who’s glare got sharper. Their eyes were still locked, when Cranos stood up and tapped the side of the car.

“Vampire lady, keep in mind… this isn’t the land of the dead.”

The engine sprung back to life as Cranos waved them goodbye before walking away.

“Disrespectful mutt,” Alavanz muttered and angrily drove away

.