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Brenn nods. “Faelor is the only exception. Loric met Jesper in the king’s dungeon. He was so traumatized he wouldn’t speak, wouldn’t eat. Loric took most of Jesper’s memories of it away and they’ve been best friends since.”
“He took his memories?”
“At Jesper’s request.” Brenn nods, his expression turning somber. “He also took Vik, Mira, and I in. We were just kids. It was long after the war, and I hadn’t shifted yet. My father was embarrassed to have a son that couldn’t, and it’s not like mygift is super useful to a warrior clan. He took me to the highest mountain peak he could find, then pushed me off it. I shifted halfway down. I wasn’t fast enough and the impact broke almost every bone in my body. My father left me to die.”
My lips part, my body going numb at the thought, at the mental image of Brenn, laying broken at the base of a mountain. And here I thought what I’d gone through was bad. At least I don’t remember most of it. But that’s…Wow.
When I don’t say anything, he continues, “Vik and Mira came to find me. Mira wouldn’t let her leave alone and once she saw me, bloody and broken, she bit me and forced my mouth to her wrist to return it.”
“She mated you…” I study him for a moment, the flames reflecting in his violet eyes.
He slowly nods. “It let me borrow her beast’s power so I could heal. It’s likely the only reason I survived. If it weren’t for Loric and Jesper stumbling upon us in the Enchanted Forest, I would’ve never walked again. The three of us would’ve been mauled to death by the creatures that live there. Still, my leg never did grow back, and we don’t really know why.” A smile curves his lips as if a memory has come to mind. “I was just lucky that Mira was my true mate. Had she not come, I’d have never made it to Loric and Jesper, and they wouldn’t have been able to heal me.”
“True mate…” I’ve read about that. Most mates are chosen, just two people okay with spending eternity together. Then there’s some higher version of it, like soulmates within the shifter world.
Brenn tugs the collar of his shirt down, revealing a bite mark on his chest. Instead of a shiny, skin-toned scar, it looks like the bite has been set in gold. “We’d felt drawn to each other our entire lives, growing up in the same village, but we didn’t realizethat’s what it was. It’s likely why she left with Vik to come find me. It wasn’t until our mate marks turned gold that we knew.”
I’d thought they were just lore… I thought true mates were nothing more than stories parents told their children so they’d be compelled to look for love. But it’s hard to deny what’s right in front of you. There’s no faking it, either.
“I’m sorry that happened to you.” I can’t stop staring at his chest, even though the fabric of his shirt is covering his mark again, I can still see a hint of the metallic scar beneath it.
“It’s not your fault my father is a dick.” He bounces his eyebrows once, a weak grin on his lips.
“It’s not yours either, though.” Suddenly, I understand why he’s so cynical. “Could Mira and Vik not heal you like Loric and Jesper?”
“No. They’re alphas. Their ability to lend their healing magic to others temporarily is what separates them from the rest of us.”
Thinking back to the Grimleer, Loric had healed my throat. He saved me. Yet, his chest was still clawed deep. He’d healed me first, instead of himself… “I didn’t realize you could have more than one alpha in a pack.”
Brenn snorts out a laugh. “We’re not wolves. There can be dozens, but the strongest leads.”
We both watch the fire in silence. I’m not really sure what to say or where he intended this conversation to go, but even with him by the fire with me, it makes it feel a little less alone.
I’m not sure how many minutes pass before Brenn speaks again. “Look, I’m not asking for your forgiveness, but maybe, if you’re up for it, we can try again…andI have a peace offering.”
“What sort of peace offering?” I arch a bow, crossing my arms, a slight smile tugging at my lips.
“I overheard you trying to get your beast to answer, and Vik might’ve mentioned you were upset about going into heat. Thebest way to make her stop is to show her you can protect yourself. So, how about a magic lesson? Assuming you don’t try to kill me, of course.”
“You think that will work?”
“It’s worth a shot,” he says with a shrug, as if it’s the most logical thing in the world.
“Glad to see you’re not an asshole all the time.”
"Just most of the time.” He winks, standing up. "Come on. The others will be back soon, and Mira's asleep. I've got nothing better to do."
Chapter 24
Calamity
"Alright, go again," Brenn says, perched casually on one of the wooden tables that dot the cavernous space. His violet eyes nearly sparkle in the fire light.
I stand in the open walkway between the tables and the wall with the bedroom doors. My hands fall to my sides as the dark ball of magic I've conjured dissipates into nothing—like it was never there. The energy evaporates, but its power lingers a bit longer, tingling my palms.
“You sure you’ve never practiced this? You’re a natural.” Brenn arches a brow.
"Yeah, I'm sure. Though, I might’ve been practicing and just not remembering it." My mind flickers back to those stolen moments, the king's cold hands, the fire that wound through my veins, the leather straps biting into my skin. Swallowing hard, I push the memories away. "Once a year, my father would do his tests and experiments, but there were times I fell asleep only to wake up in my cell days later."
